Drone Sports Inc.

What Drone Sports Inc. does

Drone Sports Inc. (DBA Saker Drone Soccer) is a Colorado Springs-based education technology company that builds and supplies drone soccer equipment, curriculum, and league infrastructure to U.S. schools, districts, and community organizations. Its core hardware is the Saker HD Pro Exoskeleton drone, an open-source platform running on Betaflight with modular, reparable components, paired with the inflatable Game Arena co-developed with Michelin Inflatable Products that a single teacher can deploy in under ten minutes. The full program, including the arena, twelve drone kits serving 10-20 students, an educational license, and league registration, is sold as a turnkey bundle for approximately $18,000, with recurring annual costs of about $1,500 for replacement parts and league registration.

The company monetizes through a mix of one-time hardware sales, recurring league registration fees and memberships, Professional Development training for educators at roughly $3,000 per cohort, and replacement parts. Distribution is B2B-direct via an enrollment portal serving schools, districts, and nonprofits, with drone fulfillment from a Buffalo warehouse and arena production in Michigan. Customers include middle and high schools (Grades 6-12), educators pursuing CTE accreditation, collegiate programs that train coaches and referees, and nonprofit/community organizations, with featured accounts including Westminster High School and Coronado High School.

Drone Sports Inc. operates as the preferred equipment provider of the U.S. Drone Soccer Association, which runs the national esports league whose winning team represents the United States at FAI World Championships. The company was founded in 2020, is privately held with 1-10 employees, received a recommendation from the FAA Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee in February 2022 for K-12 curriculum integration, and currently claims 440+ schools, 240+ programs, and 115+ institutions in the national league.

Name

Drone Sports Inc.

Legal name

Drone Sports, Inc.

Website

https://dronesoccer.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone Sports Inc. is a Colorado Springs EdTech company that supplies modular drone hardware, inflatable arenas, and curriculum to U.S. middle and high schools as the preferred equipment provider of the U.S. Drone Soccer Association and FAI-governed national league.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Drone Equipment & STEM Curriculum

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMADAJ

Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Robotics, Engineering & Makerspaces

SECONDARYCRACAHAC

Drones & UAV Retail (Consumer & Prosumer)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Electronics & Appliances Retail/Photography, Video & Drones Retail

SECONDARYEDAEAIAG

Physical Education & Athletics Equipment (Gym, Sports Gear, Scoreboards)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Education Supplies, Equipment & Furniture Procurement

Keywords

• Drone soccer equipment
• STEM education programs
• Educational drone bundles
• Competitive drone leagues
• Aviation workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Drone Equipment Sales: Sale of drone equipment bundles, replacement parts, and arena enclosures to educational partners. One-time hardware purchases with modular upgrade path. Battery sales (shipped separately from Tattu).
2. Educational Licensing: Educational license with access to support videos and educational materials included in equipment bundles. Ongoing access to curriculum and training resources.
3. League Registration Fees: Annual league registration fees for competitive teams. Part of ongoing costs estimated at $1,500 for second year including replacement parts and league registration.
4. Professional Development Training: Professional Development training for educators combining aerospace industry best practices with youth athletics. Teacher certification for CTE accreditation. Training sessions hosted twice per month, virtual format.
5. Memberships: Subscriptions and memberships for league participants that can be cancelled at any time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Drone Sports Inc. sells professional-grade drone soccer equipment and complete program bundles to schools and educational institutions, including the Saker HD Pro Exoskeleton drone, netted game arenas, and educational licensing with curriculum. The company also operates league management infrastructure and provides educator professional development training for drone-based STEM and aviation career pathway programs.

Product overview

Drone Sports Inc. operates the Saker Drone Soccer platform, a comprehensive drone soccer STEM education ecosystem. The primary offerings include the Saker HD Pro Exoskeleton drone and the Drone Soccer 'Play' Game Bundle, which provides complete league equipment including netted arenas and drone kits. The platform integrates with LeagueOS for league management and Betaflight for flight controller configuration. Additional components include a B2B portal for educational partner management, an AI Assistant (Amara) for tech support, and Professional Development Training for educators. The company also offers replacement parts, batteries, and replacement arena components through their online store. Programs are designed for middle school through post-graduate levels with pathways to FAA Part 107 certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saker HD Pro Exoskeleton Drone Professional-grade drone with exoskeleton frame designed for full-contact drone soccer gameplay. Engineered for durability and reparability with modular components that can be disassembled, rebuilt, and individually upgraded. Targeted at schools and educational partners running drone soccer programs.
• Drone Soccer 'Play' Game Bundle (League in a Box) All-inclusive startup package including netted drone arena enclosure, educational license with support videos and materials, and 12 individual drone kits supporting two teams (10-20 students). Targeted at schools, districts, and educational organizations establishing new drone soccer programs.
• Amara AI Assistant Dedicated AI chatbot assistant for Drone Soccer STEM education that provides text-based tech support for classroom technology setup and troubleshooting. Available to educators and students participating in drone soccer programs.
• B2B Enrollment Portal Self-service business portal for educational institutions to enroll as drone soccer program partners, request quotes, place bulk orders, manage implementation, and track shipping. Enrollment applications are reviewed within 1-3 business days.
• Professional Development Training Educator certification and training program combining aerospace industry best practices with youth athletics, supporting CTE accreditation. Sessions hosted twice monthly in virtual format, with on-call support for teachers. Approximate $3,000 package includes three kits and certification training for three staff members.
• Drone Sports Online Shop (Replacement Parts & Accessories) Online storefront for replacement drone parts, batteries (shipped from California via Tattu), and replacement arena components. Available to educational partners; participating families can purchase through their league location.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can earn FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate at age 16 with estimated starting salary of $35-50/hour
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• U.S. Drone Soccer AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrone Sports, Inc. is the preferred equipment provider of the U.S. Drone Soccer Association. U.S. Drone Soccer is an aviation workforce development program and national esports league. Over 115 institutions have joined the national league with competitions across the country.
• World Air Sports Federation (FAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrone Soccer is the first robotic competition that is also a team sport governed by the FAI. Winning middle or high school team becomes FAI F9A Team USA to represent the United States at World Championships.
• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting drone sports and model aviation education. Listed as partner in national network of educators and certified drone instructors.
• Global Air Drone AcademymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in national network supporting drone education and training for educators and students.
• Space CampmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization linking drone soccer programs to broader aerospace and aviation career pathways for youth.
• Michelin Inflatable ProductsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing partner for durable, high-quality Game Arena. Developed inflatable netted arena that sets up in under 10 minutes with one-year warranty.
• iFlightmajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing drone components and equipment. Listed as partner in drone soccer equipment ecosystem.
• NYPD FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting drone sports programs in New York area.
• LeagueOScoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform used for all U.S. Drone Soccer and International Drone Soccer team registration, rosters, and competitions. Browser-based league management system.
• Flight Schools & Technical CollegesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner network offering life-changing opportunities for students to earn FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot License. Part of comprehensive aviation pathways from college to elementary.
• Xtreme STEMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting STEM education programs.
• CNY DronesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional partner supporting drone education in Central New York area.
• Women and DronesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization focused on diversity in aviation and drone industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MultiGP: MultiGP is the largest drone racing league and sanctioning body, making it the closest analog to Drone Sports' league-as-platform strategy; both organize nationwide drone competitions and sell standardized equipment to participants.
• Drone Racing League (DRL): DRL is the leading global drone racing league with structured competitions, broadcast content, and a hardware ecosystem, directly comparable to Drone Sports' competitive drone soccer league model and aspirational governing-body ambitions.
• VEX Robotics: VEX provides modular STEM robotics kits with a global school competition series, structurally analogous to Drone Sports' drone-based kits and tournament leagues targeting K-12 classrooms and after-school programs.
• FIRST Robotics: FIRST operates the largest U.S. K-12 STEM competition series with recurring team registration fees and a sponsor-heavy model; comparable to Drone Sports' B2B enrollment, league fees, and educator professional development motion.
• iFlight: iFlight is a Drone Sports technology partner that supplies commercial drone components, and is a direct comparable as a manufacturer/distributor of high-performance hobby and competitive drone hardware.

Broad incumbents

• Parrot SA: Parrot is an established consumer and education drone maker (e.g., ANAFI, education programs) and competes with Drone Sports in the K-12 STEM-drone category, but at much greater scale and with a broader consumer portfolio.
• DJI Education: DJI is the dominant consumer and prosumer drone manufacturer and offers education kits (e.g., RoboMaster, Tello EDU). It is a broad incumbent that could expand aggressively into U.S. school drone sports and dwarf Drone Sports' resources.

Emerging players

• VelociDrone: VelociDrone runs a global competitive drone racing simulator and league, comparable to Drone Sports' event-driven GTM and audience of competitive drone pilots, though focused on simulation rather than physical play.
• Sphero: Sphero sells STEM robot kits to K-12 schools with a similar hardware-plus-curriculum bundle pricing model, making it a partial peer in the educational STEM kit and curriculum market that Drone Sports competes for.

Others

• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA): AMA is a partner and the largest U.S. model aviation organization providing safety programs, instructor certification, and insurance; relevant as an enabling ecosystem participant for Drone Sports' drone-based school programs rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Drone Sports Inc.