DFRobot
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersShanghai, China
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
DFRobot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DFRobot
- Legal name
- DFRobot
- Website
- https://dfrobot.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DFRobot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open-Source Hardware & STEM Education Electronics
- NAICS
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)
- SIC
- Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic Components, Nec (3679), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded, Maker Platforms & Development Kits Retail (CRACAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DIY Kits, STEM Electronics & Maker Bundles Retail (CRACAKAN), Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC), Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN), Hardware & Embedded/IoT Programming (Microcontrollers, Raspberry Pi) (EDAMACAL)
Keywords
Where DFRobot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shanghai
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
DFRobot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: DFRobot's primary revenue stream is direct sales of open-source hardware including development boards (Arduino, ESP32, x86), sensors (nearly 100 sensor products), robotics kits, motor controllers, power modules, and AI vision modules. Products are sold individually with volume discounts and VIP membership programs incentivizing repeat purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product unit pricing with volume discounts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
DFRobot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DFRobot designs, manufactures, and sells open-source hardware electronics including development boards (Arduino, ESP32, x86, RISC-V-based), nearly 100 standardized Gravity sensor and actuator modules, AI vision sensors (HUSKYLENS 2), educational robotics platforms (Maqueen for micro:bit), industrial IoT modules (LoRaWAN, RS485), and STEM education kits. The company sells directly via dfrobot.com, through a California-based US warehouse, and via global distributors (notably DigiKey), targeting K-12 education, makers, developers, and industrial IoT engineers.
Product overview
DFRobot is a global open-source hardware supplier offering a comprehensive portfolio of AI-powered STEM education solutions and industrial IoT products. The core product ecosystem includes development boards (UNIHIKER K10 with edge AI/LLM capabilities, LattePanda x86 single board computers, Beetle/FireBeetle microcontroller series), AI vision sensors (HUSKYLENS 2 with 6 TOPS computing power and MCP/LLM integration), and the extensive Gravity sensor/module series. Educational robots include the Maqueen series for micro:bit, while industrial offerings span mmWave presence sensors, LoRaWAN control terminals, and RS485 water quality sensors. The platform is designed for rapid prototyping with support for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, micro:bit, and programming environments including Mind+ graphical programming and ESP-Claw natural language hardware control. Recent launches include seeMote spatial input devices for Apple Vision Pro developers (Fall 2026 availability).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- UNIHIKER K10 AI Agent Coding Board AI agent coding board for STEM and maker education featuring edge LLM, vision AI, and voice chatbot capabilities. First third-party board to officially support Espressif ESP-Claw ecosystem, enabling natural language hardware control through a chat-based interface for rapid prototyping of local AI applications.
- HUSKYLENS 2 AI Vision Sensor AI vision sensor with up to 6 TOPS computing power via Kendryte K230 RISC-V processor, featuring over 20 built-in AI models for face recognition, object detection, pose estimation, gesture recognition, color recognition, and barcode/QR code reading. Includes built-in MCP service for LLM integration and supports custom model deployment for edge AI applications.
- LattePanda Series Single Board Computers x86 single board computer series running Windows/Linux, featuring Intel processors (N100, N150) in compact form factors. Includes LattePanda Mu (N100 CPU, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC), LattePanda IOTA, LattePanda Sigma (32GB RAM, 500GB SSD), and LattePanda V1, with modular MXM GPU carrier boards supporting RTX 3060 and A380 for edge AI and multi-4K output industrial applications.
- Gravity Series Sensors and Modules Extensive sensor and module product line featuring standardized 3-pin Gravity interface. Includes nearly 100 sensor products spanning temperature/humidity, gas, motion, pressure, air quality, liquid level, light/imaging, range/distance, and various actuator modules compatible with Arduino, ESP32, micro:bit, and Raspberry Pi platforms.
- Maqueen Series Educational Robots Educational robot platform series for micro:bit including Maqueen Lite, Maqueen Plus V2, and Maqueen Plus V3. Features line tracking, obstacle avoidance, AI vision compatibility with HUSKYLENS sensor, and is designed for K-12 STEM education including vision-based autonomous driving and gesture-controlled projects.
- Beetle Series Microcontroller Boards Compact Arduino-compatible microcontroller boards including Beetle (ATmega32U4), Beetle BLE, Beetle ESP32, Beetle ESP32-C3, Beetle ESP32-C6, and Beetle RP2040/RP2350 variants designed for wearable electronics and space-constrained projects.
- FireBeetle Series IoT Development Boards ESP32/ESP8266-based IoT development boards including FireBeetle 2 ESP32-C5 with dual-band Wi-Fi 6, solar charging capability, and Home Assistant compatibility for IoT and smart home projects.
- seeMote Cap and seeMote Cube Spatial input devices for Apple Vision Pro developers. seeMote Cap is a mountable 6DoF spatial tracking module for capturing real-world tool motion data in visionOS applications. seeMote Cube is a handheld device with buttons and haptics for prototyping spatial interactions, targeting industrial training, medical education, design review, and spatial content creation workflows.
- LoRaWAN Control Terminal Industrial IoT node for smart agriculture, building automation, and industrial monitoring. Features RS485 interface, 0-10V analog input, relay output, and LoRaWAN connectivity with up to 4km range for long-range industrial deployments.
- ESP32-S3 AI Camera Module Edge AI vision module with ESP32-S3 supporting edge image recognition, night vision, and ChatGPT voice interaction capabilities for AIoT and edge computing applications.
- mmWave Human Presence Sensors 24GHz and 60GHz millimeter wave radar sensors for human presence detection and fall detection. Includes C4001, C4002 models with I2C/UART interfaces for smart home and industrial applications, supporting Home Assistant integration.
- DFRobot Beginner Kit for Arduino Comprehensive Arduino starter kit with 35 components and 30 project tutorials covering LED control, sensors, motors, and actuators. Includes DFRduino UNO R3 and multilingual tutorial resources for STEM education beginners.
- Study Pack of HUSKYLENS for micro:bit Educational extension kit pairing HUSKYLENS AI vision sensor with micro:bit. Includes 28 teaching cards, 7 external modules (servo, RGB LED strip, voice recorder), and 12 tutorial chapters with 25 hands-on AI projects for K-12 classroom use.
- HUSKYLENS 2 WiFi Module Wireless AI vision and AIoT expansion module for HUSKYLENS 2 enabling WiFi 6 connectivity for remote monitoring and cloud integration.
Quantifiable outcome
- AI-powered gas sensing 'electronic nose' system achieves real-time odor analysis in 20-30 seconds using edge AI processing without internet connectivity
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DFRobot
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DFRobot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability11 records
Feature6 records
DFRobot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- DigiKeycoreDFRobot partnered with DigiKey for joint participation at Robot Hokoten @ Akihabara, showcasing AI-driven open-source hardware projects. The partnership extends to collaborative technical content, global marketing, and educational solutions aimed at lowering barriers to AI and open hardware adoption. Plans to continue collaborating on expanding the maker and educator ecosystem.
- RISC-V InternationalflagshipDFRobot showcased HUSKYLENS 2 AI Vision Sensor at embedded world 2026 at the RISC-V International booth (Hall 5, Booth 224), presenting the product as a representative offering of the RISC-V ecosystem in education. HUSKYLENS 2 is powered by Kendryte K230 processor with XuanTie C908 RISC-V cores. DFRobot highlighted its collaboration with RISC-V International and the XuanTie ecosystem to expand AI education worldwide.
- ALECSO (Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization)coreDFRobot conducted a three-day robotics and AI training workshop for Tunisian teachers in collaboration with ALECSO, focused on integrating AI and robotics into K-12 curricula across the Arab region. The training culminated in an AI Maker Hackathon emphasizing project-based learning, supporting educational equity through hands-on skills development.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DFRobot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pololu: Pololu manufactures motors, motor controllers, and robotics components used by makers and educators, directly overlapping DFRobot's Gravity actuators and robotics categories. Both sell through their own e-commerce storefronts to hobbyist and education buyers.
- Waveshare Electronics: Waveshare is a Chinese open-source hardware vendor selling displays, sensors, and dev boards at competitive price points, overlapping directly with DFRobot's component/module catalog and serving the same maker, industrial, and education prototyping audience.
- Arduino: Arduino is the namesake open-source microcontroller platform and ecosystem that DFRobot's products are largely compatible with. Both sell development boards, sensors, and kits to the same maker and education audience via direct e-commerce and global distributors.
- Adafruit: Adafruit is a US-based open-source hardware retailer offering development boards, sensors, and learning kits with strong educational content and a community forum — directly overlapping DFRobot's product catalog, customer segments (makers, educators), and content-led GTM motion.
- SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun sells Arduino-compatible boards, sensors, and educational kits to makers and educators, with comparable content/community infrastructure. It is one of the four named peers alongside DFRobot in the Arduino-compatible hardware market.
- Seeed Studio: Seeed Studio is a Shenzhen-based open-source hardware and IoT platform provider directly competing with DFRobot on development boards, sensors, and AI/edge modules (e.g., Wio Terminal, XIAO family), serving the same maker, education, and industrial prototyping market.
Broad incumbents
- Raspberry Pi Foundation: Raspberry Pi sells single board computers (which DFRobot resells/integrates) and the official micro:bit-adjacent ecosystem. It is a broader incumbent in the same education/maker SBC category DFRobot addresses with LattePanda and UNIHIKER.
- Espressif Systems: Espressif makes the ESP32 and ESP8266 silicon that powers much of DFRobot's FireBeetle and Beetle product lines. It is both a key supplier and an emerging competitor through ESP-Claw (which UNIHIKER K10 integrates into) and its own ESP32-based AI modules.
- LEGO Education: LEGO Education sells K-12 STEM robotics and coding platforms (SPIKE, Mindstorms successor) that compete for the same school procurement budgets as DFRobot's Maqueen and UNIHIKER-based robotics kits, though at higher price points and with stronger brand recognition.
- Microchip Technology: Microchip (via the original Arduino architecture and PIC/AVR microcontrollers) is a broad semiconductor incumbent whose silicon and dev boards underpin much of the maker/education ecosystem DFRobot serves. It competes less on direct retail but shapes the supplier landscape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DFRobot social profiles
Digital presenceDFRobot compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance12 records
DFRobot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DFRobot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
DFRobot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DFRobot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DFRobot
What does DFRobot do?
DFRobot designs, manufactures, and sells open-source hardware electronics including development boards (Arduino, ESP32, x86, RISC-V-based), nearly 100 standardized Gravity sensor and actuator modules, AI vision sensors (HUSKYLENS 2), educational robotics platforms (Maqueen for micro:bit), industrial IoT modules (LoRaWAN, RS485), and STEM education kits. The company sells directly via dfrobot.com, through a California-based US warehouse, and via global distributors (notably DigiKey), targeting K-12 education, makers, developers, and industrial IoT engineers.
Is DFRobot a public or private company?
DFRobot is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DFRobot founded?
DFRobot was founded in 2008. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is DFRobot based?
DFRobot is headquartered in Shanghai, China, in the Asia region.
How does DFRobot make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Sales.
Who are DFRobot's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pololu, Waveshare Electronics, Arduino, Adafruit, SparkFun Electronics and Seeed Studio. Broad incumbents are Raspberry Pi Foundation, Espressif Systems, LEGO Education and Microchip Technology.
Does DFRobot have an API?
No public API is recorded for DFRobot.
What industry is DFRobot in?
DFRobot's product category is Open-Source Hardware & STEM Education Electronics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAKAI, Embedded, Maker Platforms & Development Kits Retail, with a secondary code of CRACAKAN, DIY Kits, STEM Electronics & Maker Bundles Retail. Its NAICS code is 33451 and its SIC code is 3670.