DroneWorks

Name

DroneWorks

Legal name

ドローンワークス株式会社（DroneWorks Inc.）

Website

https://drone.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Drones

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy) (HDAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL)

Keywords

• Industrial drone development
• Hydrogen fuel cell drones
• Flight controller manufacturing
• Drone cloud services
• Custom drone engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Kashiwa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Drone Development Services: Contracted development of custom drones tailored to specific industrial requirements, including multirotor and fixed-wing configurations for professional applications that commercial off-the-shelf drones cannot address.
2. Flight Controller Sales: Development and sale of proprietary original flight controllers based on DroneCode open-source platform with 64-bit ARM core Linux architecture.
3. Cloud Services: Drone cloud services including safety flight platform, data communication, and monitoring services built on Microsoft Azure for industrial drone operations.
4. Pilot Training and Maintenance Services: Pilot training and maintenance services for industrial drones, providing comprehensive support for commercial drone operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DroneWorks designs, develops, and manufactures custom industrial drones (multirotor and fixed-wing configurations), proprietary 64-bit ARM core Linux flight controllers based on open-source DroneCode, and hydrogen fuel cell drone power systems (including high-pressure composite hydrogen containers co-developed with JFE Container). It also delivers Microsoft Azure-integrated drone cloud services for secure data communication and commercial drone operations, along with pilot training and maintenance services for professional drone operators.

Product overview

DroneWorks is a drone development manufacturer headquartered in Kashiwa-no-ha Campus, Chiba, offering a portfolio of industrial drone products and services. The core offerings include the original flight controller (64-bit ARMcore Linux) based on open-source DroneCode, the DW-AG1200-4 multi-rotor drone, and hydrogen fuel cell drone technology with high-pressure hydrogen composite containers developed jointly with JFE Container. Services include contract drone development, cloud services integrated with Microsoft Azure, and professional industrial drone solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Original Flight Controller (64-bit ARMcore Linux) (オリジナルフライトコントローラ) Open-source original flight controller based on 64-bit ARM core Linux architecture developed using the DroneCode platform, designed for application developers building on DroneCode and Dronekit.
• DW-AG1200-4 Multi-Rotor Industrial Drone

Quantifiable outcome

• Japan's first hydrogen fuel cell drone flight using specially approved aircraft
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JFE Container Co., Ltd. (JFEコンテイナー株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2021Joint development of compact high-pressure hydrogen composite containers specifically designed for hydrogen fuel cell drone applications. The partnership achieved Japan's first hydrogen fuel cell drone flight and received special approval from Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. This is a flagship co-development initiative central to DroneWorks' hydrogen fuel cell drone strategy.
• IoT Business Co-creation Lab (IoTビジネス共創ラボ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2018Founding member and leader of the Drone Working Group within the IoT Business Co-creation Lab ecosystem, a multi-company IoT innovation initiative. DroneWorks drives drone-related activities across multiple regional chapters.
• Microsoft JapancoreTechnology or Integration · 24 May 2017Partnership for cloud-based industrial drone safety platform using Microsoft Azure IoT Hub. DroneWorks featured in Microsoft Technical Case Studies. Active exhibition at Microsoft de:code 2017 developer conference and participation in IoT Business Co-creation Lab initiatives. Azure services used for secure data communication and cloud platform services for commercial drone operations.
• Nidec Corporation (日本電産株式会社)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 January 2016Provided demonstration environment system support for Nidec's commercial drone exhibition booth at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. Assisted with demo setup for commercial drone display.
• 31VENTURES (31ベンチャーズ / 三井不動産)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in 31VENTURES (Mitsui Fudosan) column showcasing DroneWorks as an example of hardware and software innovation support, highlighting the support ecosystem for startups.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DJI: Global incumbent dominating commercial and industrial drones. Competes indirectly with DroneWorks through standardized industrial offerings (Matrice series) and ecosystem that limits the addressable market for bespoke industrial drones.

Direct peers

• Skydio: US-based autonomous drone manufacturer focused on industrial inspection, public safety, and defense. Comparable in on-board autonomy, custom flight controller development, and enterprise-grade industrial drone positioning.
• senseFly (AgEagle Aerial Systems): Industrial fixed-wing and multirotor drone manufacturer focused on surveying, mapping, and inspection. Comparable in producing purpose-built industrial drones with custom airframes for professional applications that off-the-shelf products cannot serve.
• ideaForge Technology: India-based industrial and defense drone manufacturer with vertically integrated flight controller and airframe development. Comparable in building custom drones for industrial surveying, inspection, and security use cases.
• Autel Robotics: Drone manufacturer producing enterprise and industrial UAVs with proprietary flight controllers. Comparable as a manufacturer building both consumer and industrial drone hardware with in-house avionics.
• Parrot SA: European drone manufacturer with commercial/industrial offerings and open-source SDK ecosystem comparable to DroneWorks' DroneCode-based approach. Operates in adjacent enterprise and government segments.
• ACSL (Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory): Japanese industrial drone manufacturer designing, manufacturing, and selling autonomous UAVs for industrial applications. Closest comparable domestic peer in custom-built industrial drone platforms and Japanese regulatory navigation.
• PRODRONE: Japanese industrial and professional drone manufacturer producing custom multirotor and fixed-wing UAVs for inspection, surveying, and logistics. Directly comparable in custom industrial drone development and Japanese market focus.

Emerging players

• HES Energy Systems: Singapore-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems specifically for unmanned aerial systems. Comparable as an emerging hydrogen UAV specialist targeting long-endurance industrial missions.
• Doosan Mobility Innovation: Hydrogen fuel cell drone specialist producing long-endurance UAVs powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Closest direct competitor in the hydrogen-powered industrial drone category DroneWorks pioneered in Japan.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DroneWorksJapan

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 DroneWorks