What Marine Drone Tech does

Marine Drone Tech (주식회사 해양드론기술 / Marine Drone Tech Co., Ltd.) is a Busan, South Korea-based maritime drone platform company incorporated in 2021 as a spin-off of Korea Maritime University Technology Holdings. The company designs, manufactures, and operates V-TOL maritime drones along with AI-driven software, serving commercial fishing operators, maritime logistics customers, defense agencies, and aquaculture operators. Its platform combines a proprietary heavy-lift drone product family (HeDRA50/100, V-series, MDT series), AI software (BlueScope fish detection, autonomous landing), and integrated control/operations infrastructure.

Name

Marine Drone Tech

Legal name

주식회사 해양드론기술 (Marine Drone Tech Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://marine-drone.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Marine Drone Tech is a Busan-based maritime drone platform provider offering AI-powered V-TOL drones for commercial fishing (fish detection), port/island logistics delivery, defense surveillance, aquaculture monitoring, and disaster response to enterprise and government customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Drone Systems

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) & Autonomous Maritime Surface Platforms (IMABAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maritime Unmanned Systems (USV/UUV) & Control Stations (IMABAKAJ), Naval Training, Simulation & Shore-Based Support Systems (IMABAKAO)

Keywords

• Maritime drone systems
• Drone delivery logistics
• AI fish detection
• Maritime defense drones
• Aquaculture monitoring drones

Headquarters

HQ city

Busan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Drone Hardware Sales: Sale of proprietary marine drones including HeDRA series (50kg, 100kg payloads), V-series (V290, V320), and MDT series platforms for logistics, defense, and fish detection applications
2. AI Fish Detection Services: Subscription or per-operation fees for BlueScope AI fish detection platform providing real-time fish school identification and voyage optimization for commercial fishing vessels
3. Drone Delivery Services: Drone logistics services for island and remote area delivery, including NARAON platform operations for inter-island mail and cargo delivery
4. Aquaculture Monitoring Services: AI-powered monitoring services for aquaculture farms using drone-based wide-area observation and real-time diagnostics
5. Defense Platform Solutions: Integrated drone defense systems and platforms for maritime security and national defense missions including surveillance and reconnaissance

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marine Drone Tech designs, manufactures, and operates maritime V-TOL drone systems and AI-powered software platforms for fish detection, last-mile island delivery, defense, aquaculture monitoring, and disaster response. The company's full-stack offering combines proprietary drone hardware (HeDRA series, V-series, MDT series), AI control systems (BlueScope, NARAON), and operational data analytics, sold primarily to enterprise fishing fleets, port operators, defense agencies, and government institutions.

Product overview

Marine Drone Tech is a premier maritime drone platform provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of drone solutions and AI-powered platforms. The core offerings include three main platforms: NARAON for drone delivery logistics serving island and remote maritime areas; Blue Scope for AI-powered fish detection and voyage optimization; and HeDRA for defense and military applications. Additional products include aquaculture monitoring, disaster response, and firefighting drone solutions. The product lineup includes specialized drones such as the HeDRA50 (50kg payload heavy-lift), HeDRA100 (defense drone), V290, MDT-V320, T-310, and MDT1600 delivery drone, along with supporting systems like R-LINK. The company positions itself as a 'full-stack maritime drone platform enterprise' covering drone manufacturing, AI-based control, predictive maintenance, and operational data analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NARAON (나라온): Drone delivery platform for maritime and port environments, providing last-mile delivery services to island areas
• Blue Scope (블루스코프)
• HeDRA Defense Platform
• HeDRA

Products and services

• NARAON (나라온) Drone delivery platform combining aircraft proven in extreme conditions, dedicated stations, and user-friendly app to eliminate logistics blind spots in island areas and provide reliable last-mile delivery services for enterprise logistics and postal customers such as Royal Mail (Orkney Isles).
• BlueScope (블루스코프) AI-powered fish detection drone platform providing real-time fish school identification, vessel tracking, and optimal route suggestions to reduce fishing operational costs. Used by commercial fishing fleets in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan with a 50% cost reduction versus manned helicopter scouting.
• HeDRA Defense Platform Integrated drone defense system optimized for maritime security and national defense missions, combining reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision strike capabilities under unified command for naval, coast guard, and government customers including a Thailand Defense Industry Promotion Association MOU.
• AI Aquaculture Monitoring (AI 양식장 모니터링) AI smart aquaculture integrated platform combining drone wide-area observation capabilities with AI precision analysis for real-time diagnosis of maritime facilities and aquaculture farms.
• Disaster Response Solution (재난 대응 솔루션) Drone and AI-powered real-time disaster suppression system featuring next-generation firefighting drones with high-altitude operations and 360-degree precision surveillance, developed in partnership with SG Life Safety for autonomous firefighting and emergency response.
• HeDRA50 50kg payload heavy-lift drone capable of 25km flight, designed for logistics, disaster response, and firefighting applications.
• HeDRA100 High-payload defense drone for military maritime security operations.
• T-310 Marine drone product in the company's V-TOL portfolio.
• MDT-V320 Marine V-TOL drone product in the company's portfolio.
• V290 Marine V-TOL drone product in the company's portfolio.
• MDT1600 Delivery drone developed for maritime logistics operations supporting inter-island and remote area delivery services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% cost reduction in fish detection compared to manned helicopter operations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japanese Fishing CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 June 2026AI-based fish detection drone supply contract for Japanese distant water fishing market, expanding international supply chain following Philippines and Taiwan.
• Busan Metropolitan CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Busan City supported participation at CES 2026 with 28 local companies, achieving record US$28.67M in contract negotiations.
• Oklahoma Department of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 November 2025Participated in trade mission as Korean UAS company delegation to explore investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral partnerships. Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for drone readiness.
• Philippines Fishing CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 September 2025Second supply contract for fish detection drone service expanding Southeast Asian market presence with customized solutions and crew training.
• HD Hyundai Samho (HD현대삼호)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Met at FLY ASIA 2025 for open innovation discussion and potential maritime mobility cooperation as leading Korean shipbuilding company.
• CJ ENMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Met at FLY ASIA 2025 for open innovation discussion as major Korean entertainment and commerce company exploring drone applications.
• Korea Maritime University (国立韩国海洋대)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025CEO participated in Busan's Future leadership meetings, contributing to Arctic route strategies and maritime R&D as university-affiliated technology holding company.
• Ministry of Trade, Industry and EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2025Selected for Materials & Components Technology Development program with 3.6 billion KRW over 2.5 years for drone core component localization and technology advancement, including global communication infrastructure localization.
• Ministry of Oceans and FisheriesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 September 2025Selected as excellent company at 2025 Maritime and Fisheries Job Fair, recognized as outstanding maritime drone solution company for creating new standards in marine logistics.
• SG Life SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Joint development of next-generation firefighting drone with SG Life Safety, combining MDT's drone technology with SG's life safety expertise for autonomous firefighting solutions.
• Thailand Defense Industry Promotion AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2025MOU signed for market entry of maritime drones and control systems in Thailand, including technology transfer and local cooperation expansion, with strategic infrastructure linking to Thai defense sector.
• Philippines Fishing Company AcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2025First supply contract for fish detection drone service; second contract signed due to service quality and reliability recognition, expanding to South Pacific markets.
• Taiwan Fishing CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Fish detection drone contracts for Taiwan fishing operations as part of international expansion to major fishing nations.
• Korea Maritime and Ocean UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology holding company spin-off from Korea Maritime and Ocean University, co-located R&D center and training facilities in university Industry-Academic Hub building.
• Busan Techno Park (부산TP)coreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Maritime Industry Startup Investment Support Program supporting company, providing acceleration services and market access for Busan maritime startups.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Wing (Alphabet): Alphabet's drone delivery unit operating commercial drone delivery at scale globally — comparable business model (drone-based delivery) but much larger and broader in scope than MDT's maritime focus.
• Furuno Electric: Global leader in marine electronics including fish finders and sonar used by commercial fishing fleets — directly competes with BlueScope in fish-detection intelligence, but as a broad incumbent with established hardware.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Major marine technology supplier of navigation, sonar, and fish-finding systems to commercial fishing fleets — comparable end market (fishery electronics) but operates at far larger scale as a broad incumbent.
• Textron Systems: Defense prime operating unmanned maritime/aerial systems for the US military — comparable to MDT's HeDRA defense drone platform but as a large, established defense contractor.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: US defense company building target/jet and unmanned drone systems, including maritime-related autonomous platforms — comparable defense drone focus but at much larger scale and as a listed incumbent.

Direct peers

• Saildrone: Builds autonomous maritime vehicles (USV) for ocean data, surveillance, and fisheries monitoring — directly comparable as a maritime autonomous platform combining hardware with AI-driven data services.
• Skydio: US-based autonomous drone maker with strong defense/public-safety footprint and AI-driven autonomy — directly comparable to MDT's autonomous-flight and defense positioning.
• Anduril Industries: Develops autonomous defense systems including maritime and aerial platforms with AI-driven command and control — directly comparable to Marine Drone Tech's HeDRA integrated defense drone offering.
• Manna Aero: Operates B2B drone delivery for last-mile urban/suburban logistics using autonomous VTOL drones — closely comparable to MDT's NARAON delivery platform in technology and go-to-market model.
• Zipline: Operates long-range autonomous drone delivery networks, including to remote/island and hard-to-reach areas — directly comparable to Marine Drone Tech's NARAON last-mile maritime delivery use case.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@marinedronetech
• Facebookfacebook.com/dronetech.marine
• Instagraminstagram.com/marinedronetech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marine Drone Tech