Microdrones
Microdrones designs and manufactures integrated drone-based LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying systems for professional surveyors, mining, construction, and infrastructure inspection customers worldwide, selling hardware, software, and Drone-as-a-Service plans through direct enterprise sales and a global distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSiegen, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Microdrones does
Microdrones GmbH, founded in October 2005 and headquartered in Siegen, Germany, designs and manufactures integrated drone-based LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying systems for professional geospatial data collection. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of mdGroup Germany GmbH (Bad Lippspringe) and operates regional offices in the United States (Madison, AL and Rome, NY), Canada, France, the United Arab Emirates, and China, with additional distribution in Latin America (e.g., Measure in Brazil). Microdrones serves surveying and mapping, construction, mining, utilities and energy, agriculture, inspection, and science and research customers, with cited enterprise users including Fugro, SWECO, Crafton Tull, Olsson, and Kenmare, and reports a base of 1,500+ businesses and 1,000+ drones operating daily worldwide.
The product platform is built around the md4-series and next-generation EasyOne quadcopter airframes, proprietary mdOS autopilot and direct georeferencing (DG) technology, and a stack of integrated LiDAR and photogrammetry payloads (mdLiDAR1000, mdLiDAR1000HR, mdLiDAR3000, mdLiDAR3000DL, and the mdMapper series) with sensor partnerships including RIEGL, Velodyne, SICK, Applanix, and Sony. The accompanying software ecosystem includes mdCockpit (Android mission-planning app), mdInfinity (cloud data processing with trajectory processing, boresight calibration, strip adjustment, precision enhancement, and FORMap), and the LP360 Drone / LP360 Cloud / LP360 AI Classification suite acquired through the January 2022 acquisition of GeoCue Group. Survey-grade accuracy is published at 1.6 cm (mdLiDAR1000HR) to 6 cm (mdLiDAR1000) at 40 m altitude. A NDAA-compliant EasyOne variant targets the U.S. federal and critical-infrastructure survey market.
Microdrones makes money through a mix of hardware system sales, subscription and usage-based software (mdInfinity, LP360), Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) purchase, rental, and Pay Per Project plans, and professional services (mdAcademy training, mdInfinity Custom Services including Strip Adjustment, Precision Enhancement, Point Colorization, and FORMap). Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with a global dealer/distributor network, and pricing is primarily quote-based with multi-year enterprise contracts. The company holds TÜV Nord DIN ISO 9001 certification and has been recognized with industry awards including the EU Drone Awards (Best Manufacturer) and trade-press recognition from International Construction and Spar3D.
Microdrones firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Microdrones
- Legal name
- mdGroup Germany GmbH
- Website
- https://microdrones.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Microdrones designs and manufactures integrated drone-based LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying systems for professional surveyors, mining, construction, and infrastructure inspection customers worldwide, selling hardware, software, and Drone-as-a-Service plans through direct enterprise sales and a global distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Microdrones industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerial LiDAR and Photogrammetry Drone Surveying Equipment
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Microdrones is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Siegen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Microdrones business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of complete drone LiDAR and photogrammetry systems including aircraft, sensors, software and accessories. Systems include mdLiDAR1000, mdLiDAR3000, mdMapper1000, EasyOne and related payloads
- Software Subscriptions and Licensing: mdInfinity data processing software with Pay Per Project or Unlimited data post-processing options. LP360 Drone software for point cloud and imagery processing. mdCockpit tablet software licensing
- Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS): Flexible purchase or leasing programs including 'Buy It' or 'Rent It' options, Pay Per Project and Unlimited data post-processing plans for surveying equipment
- Training and Support Services: mdAcademy training programs including basic and payload-specific training, technical support, and marketing/PR support for customers
- Data Processing Services: Custom processing services including Strip Adjustment, Precision Enhancement, Point Colorization and FORMap services available on demand through mdInfinity Custom Services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) flexible plans |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Microdrones product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Microdrones designs, manufactures, and sells integrated UAV drone LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying systems — including rotary aircraft (EasyOne, md4 platform), LiDAR and camera payloads, and a proprietary Plan-Fly-Process-Visualize software ecosystem (LP360 Drone, mdInfinity, mdCockpit) — along with the Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) leasing/subscription program and mdAcademy training for professional surveyors, engineers, and geospatial firms.
Product overview
Microdrones is a geospatial drone technology company offering an integrated platform of hardware, software, and services for aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying. The product portfolio centers on the md4-1000 VTOL quadcopter drone platform and the next-generation EasyOne platform, combined with various LiDAR and photogrammetry sensor payloads (mdLiDAR1000, mdLiDAR3000, mdMapper series). The software ecosystem includes LP360 Drone for desktop point cloud and imagery processing, LP360 Cloud for cloud-based collaboration, mdInfinity for cloud data processing workflows, and mdCockpit for mission planning and flight control. The company operates under mdGroup Germany GmbH, which also owns GeoCue and LP360 brands following the January 2022 acquisition of GeoCue Group. Offerings are available through purchase, rental, or Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) flexible plans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EasyOne: Compact survey-grade drone LiDAR surveying equipment designed for transportability, simple control interface, responsible sourcing and cost competitiveness
- mdLiDAR
- mdMapper
- mdCockpit
- mdInfinity
- LP360
- TrueView
- mdGroup
- mdLiDAR as a Service (mdaaS)
Products and services
- EasyOneLiDAR UHR+ Compact survey-grade drone LiDAR surveying equipment in the EasyOne platform line, designed for transportability, simple control interface, responsible sourcing, and cost competitiveness for professional geospatial surveyors.
- EasyOneLiDAR UHR & UHR Lite EasyOneLiDAR UHR series variants offering ultra-high resolution LiDAR capabilities at different price points for professional surveyors.
- EasyOneLiDAR NDAA NDAA-compliant next-generation drone LiDAR platform from Microdrones addressing transportability, simple control interface, responsible sourcing, and cost competitiveness for U.S. and regulated market buyers.
- mdLiDAR1000 Entry-level UAV LiDAR system for making point clouds, using a SICK LD-MRS4 sensor with 19,500 points/s and 3 returns; consistently delivers 6 cm accuracy when flown at 40 m altitude.
- mdLiDAR1000HR High-resolution UAV LiDAR system using a Velodyne VLP-16 PUCK sensor for increased coverage; provides precision of 1.6 cm at 1-sigma when flown at 40 m altitude at 8 m/s with a 90-degree field of view.
- mdLiDAR3000 Professional UAV LiDAR system using a RIEGL miniVUX-1UAV sensor with 100,000 points/s and a Sony RX1R II camera for colorized point clouds, delivering denser point clouds than the mdLiDAR1000.
- mdLiDAR3000DL Long-range UAV LiDAR system with a RIEGL miniVUX-1DL sensor optimized for corridor mapping; features 100,000 points/s, 5 returns, and a Sony RX1R-II 42.2 MP camera for colorization and orthomosaic mapping.
- mdMapper1000DG Photogrammetry drone system with direct georeferencing capability that eliminates or minimizes the need for ground control points (GCPs); includes an integrated IMU for corridor mapping.
- mdMapper3000DooG 3D 3D modeling drone system with a 5-camera oblique array (120 MP combined) capturing nadir, front, back, left, and right views for comprehensive 3D modeling of buildings and structures.
- mdMapper1000DG 3D 3D modeling drone system using direct georeferencing with a 5-camera array for high wall mapping and 3D modeling applications.
- LP360 Drone Core desktop software product for UAV LiDAR and photogrammetry data processing, visualization, QA/QC, classification, 3D editing, and analysis; processes data from multiple sensors and generates deliverables including point clouds, orthophotos, DTM/DEM, contours, and volumes.
- LP360 Cloud Cloud-based extension for LP360 enabling storage, streaming, and collaboration on geospatial data; includes LP360 Cloud Collaborate for team collaboration and LP360 Cloud Raster for raster data processing.
- mdCockpit Android tablet application for mission planning, flight monitoring, and analysis; allows users to plan flight areas using Google Earth integration, set waypoints with fingertip controls, monitor missions in real time, and download collected data via Bluetooth.
- mdInfinity Cloud-based data processing ecosystem for trajectory processing, georeferencing, boresight calibration, strip adjustment, precision enhancement, point colorization, and FORMap processing of Microdrones aerial data.
- LP360 AI Classification Add-On Bundle Bundle of AI-powered classification add-ons including AI Ground+ (above-ground feature segmentation), AI Forestry (tree segmentation and crown delineation), and AI Utilities (transmission corridor wire and structure extraction) for automated point cloud processing.
- Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) Flexible purchase and leasing program offering Buy It, Rent It, and Pay Per Project options for all Microdrones drone systems, enabling more companies to afford drone surveying technology.
- mdAcademy Training program offering basic and payload-specific training for Microdrones UAS operators, provided by professional UAV pilots.
- mdInfinity Custom Services Custom data processing services including Strip Adjustment, Precision Enhancement, Point Colorization, and FORMap services available on demand through mdInfinity for Microdrones customers.
- LP360 Photo Add-On Add-on module for ultra-fast orthomosaic creation from point cloud data in an integrated LP360 workflow; supports DJI Mavic 3E, DJI Phantom 4 RTK, and DJI Zenmuse P1 sensors.
- LP360 Strip Align Add-on for automated strip alignment and geometric correction of drone LiDAR data using sensor-specific mathematical modeling, delivered as a fully automated process without user parameters.
- DJI L1/L2 Cloud Batch Processing Add-On Add-on for direct import and processing of raw DJI L1 or L2 data without requiring DJI Terra processing; processes GNSS/INS trajectory data directly from raw files.
Quantifiable outcome
- Projects taking weeks can be completed in days - Railroad corridor mapping project completed in 5 days vs estimated 80 working days with conventional methods
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Microdrones
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Microdrones technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability7 records
Feature10 records
Microdrones partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- GeoCue GroupcoreMicrodrones parent company mdGroup acquired GeoCue Group in January 2022. GeoCue provides TrueView LiDAR/imaging sensors and LP360 data processing software. This acquisition enhances aerial surveying capabilities and expands presence in U.S. and European markets.
- MeasurecoreMicrodrones distributor in Brazil specializing in conventional topography, laser scanning, aero photogrammetry, drone LiDAR, georeferencing, drilling and geospatial data. Has completed over 100 hours of surveying with Microdrones systems
- ApplanixcoreApplanix APX-15 UAV component integrates IMU with GNSS receiver for direct georeferencing solutions. Part of core Microdrones system integration for survey-grade accuracy
- RIEGLcoreRIEGL miniVUX-1UAV and miniVUX-1DL laser scanners integrated into mdLiDAR3000 systems for high-density point cloud collection
- SonycoreSony RX1R II camera integration for high-resolution photogrammetry and point cloud colorization in mdLiDAR3000 systems
- SICKcoreSICK LD-MRS4 LiDAR sensor integrated into mdLiDAR1000 system for surveying applications
- VelodynecoreVelodyne VLP-16 PUCK LiDAR sensor integrated into mdLiDAR1000HR for high-resolution point clouds
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Microdrones competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- senseFly (Parrot): senseFly, a Parrot subsidiary, produces fixed-wing and quadcopter mapping drones (eBee, eMotion) for surveying and inspection, competing with Microdrones in the professional geospatial drone segment.
- Wingtra: Wingtra builds VTOL fixed-wing mapping drones with integrated photogrammetry and LiDAR payloads. Wingtra is supported in LP360 Drone and directly competes for the same surveying and mapping customers as Microdrones.
- Pix4D: Pix4D provides photogrammetry and drone-mapping software (Pix4Dmapper, Pix4Dfields) used by the same surveyors, construction and agriculture buyers as Microdrones. It competes most directly with LP360 Drone on the software side of the stack.
- Delair: Delair produces fixed-wing and quad UAVs for surveying, mapping, mining and defense. It is a Microdrones channel partner for fixed-wing platforms but also a direct competitor in the longer-endurance mapping drone category.
- Phoenix LiDAR Systems: Phoenix LiDAR Systems integrates LiDAR sensors onto UAV platforms for surveying, mapping, and forestry. It competes head-to-head with Microdrones in survey-grade drone LiDAR systems and shares the same RIEGL, Velodyne and similar sensor supply base.
- Quantum Systems: Quantum Systems manufactures professional eVTOL mapping drones (Trinity, Vector) for surveying, mining and defense. Its enterprise positioning and vertical-specific payloads overlap with Microdrones' mdMapper and mdLiDAR lines.
- YellowScan: YellowScan builds LiDAR solutions for UAVs used in surveying, forestry, and environmental monitoring. Its integrated drone-LiDAR packages directly overlap Microdrones' mdLiDAR product line for professional surveyors.
Broad incumbents
- DJI: DJI is the dominant global drone OEM whose L1, L2 and L3 LiDAR/photogrammetry payloads are explicitly supported in Microdrones' LP360 Drone workflow. While not a direct integrated-systems peer, DJI sets the price/performance baseline against which Microdrones' integrated stack must justify its premium.
- Trimble: Trimble is a large established geospatial and construction technology company with surveying, mapping and building software (e.g., Trimble Business Center, which integrates with LP360). It competes with Microdrones in survey-grade positioning and end-to-end jobsite workflows but with a much broader portfolio.
- DroneDeploy: DroneDeploy is a broad drone data platform for mapping, inspections and analytics across construction, agriculture and energy. It competes with Microdrones' software offering and supports a wide range of third-party drone hardware, putting it in direct competition for the same enterprise surveying software budget.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Microdrones social profiles
Digital presenceMicrodrones compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Microdrones financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Microdrones leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Microdrones subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Microdrones funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Microdrones M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Microdrones
What does Microdrones do?
Microdrones designs, manufactures, and sells integrated UAV drone LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying systems — including rotary aircraft (EasyOne, md4 platform), LiDAR and camera payloads, and a proprietary Plan-Fly-Process-Visualize software ecosystem (LP360 Drone, mdInfinity, mdCockpit) — along with the Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS) leasing/subscription program and mdAcademy training for professional surveyors, engineers, and geospatial firms.
Is Microdrones a public or private company?
Microdrones is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Microdrones founded?
Microdrones was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Microdrones based?
Microdrones is headquartered in Siegen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Microdrones make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Subscriptions and Licensing, microdrones as a Service (mdaaS), training and Support Services and data Processing Services.
Who are Microdrones's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are senseFly (Parrot), Wingtra, Pix4D, Delair, Phoenix LiDAR Systems, Quantum Systems and YellowScan. Broad incumbents are DJI, Trimble and DroneDeploy.
Does Microdrones have an API?
No public API is recorded for Microdrones.
What industry is Microdrones in?
Microdrones's product category is Aerial LiDAR and Photogrammetry Drone Surveying Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAIAJ, Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3721.