VFR
VFR Inc. is a Japanese drone manufacturer and solutions provider, wholly owned by VAIO Corporation, that designs, produces, and distributes industrial drones, automated drone ports, and VR training tools for municipal governments, fire departments, and infrastructure operators in Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNagoya, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What VFR does
VFR Inc. (VFR株式会社) is a Japanese drone company founded in March 2020 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of VAIO Corporation, headquartered in Nagoya with offices in Tokyo and production facilities in Azumino (Nagano). The company operates across the full drone value chain: it designs, manufactures, and distributes industrial drones (notably the ACSL SOTEN and ACSL-PF2 manufactured for ACSL, plus PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR surveying drones and Autel EVO Max distributed under partnership), provides a domestic drone port for automated deployment, and runs the IBIS2-based VFR Inspection service for confined-space municipal infrastructure inspection. VFR also operates a contract manufacturing business that in 2025 expanded into consumer electronics (mass production of Ratta's Supernote e-notebook) and a VR-based pilot training product (SOTEN Virtual Trainer co-developed with ACSL and Rikei). The company leverages inherited VAIO PC-manufacturing expertise, an integrated partner stack (Blue Innovation's BEP orchestration platform, Liberaware, PRODRONE, Autel, Rikei, KDDI), and ISO 9001:2015 certification. Its primary customers are Japanese prefectural and municipal governments, fire departments, and infrastructure operators, with pricing spanning ¥3.45M–6.9M hardware units, ¥60,000–88,000 rental/training fees, and project-based inspection services claiming up to 60% time and 30% cost reductions versus traditional methods.
VFR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VFR
- Legal name
- VFR株式会社
- Website
- https://vfr.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- VFR Inc. is a Japanese drone manufacturer and solutions provider, wholly owned by VAIO Corporation, that designs, produces, and distributes industrial drones, automated drone ports, and VR training tools for municipal governments, fire departments, and infrastructure operators in Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VFR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Drones
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)
Keywords
Where VFR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nagoya
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
VFR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of drones including ACSL-PF2, SOTEN, PRODRONE SCAN, EVO Max, and related components to enterprise and government customers
- Contract Manufacturing: ODM/OEM drone development and manufacturing services leveraging VAIO's manufacturing expertise, including mass production support for drone manufacturers
- Inspection Services: VFR Inspection narrow space inspection services using IBIS2 drone, including photography and report creation
- Maintenance and Support: VFR Customer Support services including annual inspections, training, alternative drone loans, and electronic manuals
- VR Simulation: SOTEN Virtual Trainer simulator sales and potentially rental services for drone pilot training
- Drone Port Solutions: Sale of VFR Drone Port systems for automated drone operations, targeting government and enterprise disaster preparedness applications
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time purchase | ACSL-PF2 Standard - Basic industrial drone platform |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time purchase | ACSL-PF2 Inspection - Infrastructure inspection configured model with AI analysis |
| Unit Pricing | One-time purchase | Drone Experience Program - Azumino 1-day training with ACSL-PF2 |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | SOTEN Rental - Up to 10 days rental through KISSEI COMTEC |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Project-based | VFR Inspection - Narrow space inspection service |
| Other | Quote-based | PRODRONE SCAN - LiDAR surveying drone |
| Subscription | Annual | VFR Customer Support - Annual service package |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
VFR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VFR Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells industrial drones and peripheral equipment in Japan, offering a vertically integrated portfolio spanning the SOTEN domestic industrial drone, PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR surveying drone, EVO Max (Autel) AI-recognition drone, IBIS2 ultra-compact inspection drone, SOTEN Virtual Trainer VR simulator, and the VFR Drone Port automated deployment system. The company also provides outsourced inspection services (VFR Inspection), drone-specific customer support (VFR Customer Support), and operates the VFR SHOP e-commerce platform, serving municipal governments, fire departments, and infrastructure operators across Japan.
Product overview
VFR (VFR Inc.) is a Japanese drone company that develops, manufactures, and sells industrial drones and peripheral equipment. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio spanning the entire drone value chain: proprietary hardware products including SOTEN (domestic industrial drone), PRODRONE SCAN (LiDAR surveying drone), EVO Max and EVO Nest (Autel robotics products), IBIS2 (narrow-space inspection drone); simulation and training solutions such as SOTEN Virtual Trainer (VR flight simulator); infrastructure solutions including VFR Drone Port (automated deployment system); and services including VFR Inspection (outsourced inspection), VFR Customer Support, and VFR SHOP (e-commerce). VFR leverages manufacturing expertise from parent company VAIO and partners with major drone manufacturers for development, production, and sales support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VFR Inspection: Narrow-space inspection agency service using the IBIS2 compact drone, covering shooting through report creation in a one-stop service for inspecting underground sewers, pipes, and other confined spaces.
- VFR Customer Support (VFRカスタマーサポート)
- VFRドローンポート (VFR Drone Port)
- SOTENバーチャルトレーナー (SOTEN Virtual Trainer)
- Hello DRONE Project
- Take Off Anywhere (ToA) Project
- VFR SHOP
Products and services
- SOTEN (蒼天) Industrial Drone Japanese industrial drone developed by ACSL and mass-produced by VFR. Features ISO 15408-based security with encrypted communication and photography data, one-touch camera switching system for multiple payloads, and configuration options including standard (3,450,000 JPY) and inspection models (6,900,000 JPY) with AI analysis. Targeted at enterprise and government customers for industrial applications.
- PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR Surveying Drone Cost-effective LiDAR surveying integrated drone featuring Hesai XT32 sensor with 360° horizontal FOV and 640,000 pts/s scan rate. Takeoff weight approximately 20kg, 30-minute flight time, IP55 dust/water protection, foldable design for portability. Targeted at infrastructure operators, surveying companies, and construction firms.
- EVO Max Industrial Drone Autel Robotics industrial drone distributed by VFR in Japan. Features 8K still image capture, 10x optical zoom, 160x hybrid zoom, AI object recognition (humans, vehicles, heat sources), non-GPS autonomous navigation, infrared camera with adjustable isotherm, IP45 rating, and 40-minute flight time. Targeted at fire departments, disaster response teams, and security operations.
- IBIS2 Compact Inspection Drone Ultra-compact inspection drone by Liberaware distributed by VFR for narrow spaces and dark environments. Equipped with high-sensitivity camera for inspection of underground sewage pipes and confined spaces. Used as the hardware platform for VFR's outsourced inspection service. Targeted at municipal infrastructure operators and sewerage inspection applications.
- SOTEN Virtual Trainer VR Simulator VR-based flight simulator for SOTEN drone operation training, jointly developed with ACSL and Rikei. Enables training in virtual environments including inspection, disaster monitoring, and emergency landing procedures. Only requires a PC, monitor, and proportional controller. Targeted at drone pilots, training centers, and organizations adopting the SOTEN drone fleet.
- VFR Drone Port (VFRドローンポート) Japanese-made drone port for automated deployment of disaster-response and infrastructure inspection drones. Automatically launches drones based on disaster warnings or alerts, supports tsunami evacuation announcements and emergency monitoring. Accepted into METI SBIR Phase 3 program for development and social implementation. Targeted at municipal governments, fire departments, and infrastructure operators.
- VFR Inspection Service Outsourced narrow-space inspection service using the IBIS2 compact drone, providing one-stop service from photography through report creation. Features 60% reduction in inspection work time and 30% reduction in scaffolding/equipment costs versus traditional methods. Services include concrete crack visualization, corrosion detection, pipe inspection, and outdoor piping surface inspection. Targeted at municipal governments, infrastructure operators, and sewerage facility managers.
- VFR Customer Support (VFRカスタマーサポート) Dedicated drone-specific customer support service package for fire departments and municipalities. Annual subscription includes phone consultation, annual inspection, replacement drone loans during maintenance, training, legal consultation, and electronic manuals (Sokumiru platform). Targeted at fire departments and municipal government drone fleet operators.
- VFR SHOP Online Store Online e-commerce platform for purchasing industrial drones including ACSL-PF2 and related products, plus drone experience programs at the Azumino facility. Also includes SOTEN drone rental offerings. Targeted at SMB drone buyers, individual drone operators, and commercial drone service providers.
- Autel EVO Nest Drone Port Autel compact drone port for automated deployment and charging of EVO series drones, distributed by VFR in Japan. Targeted at enterprise customers and government organizations requiring automated drone operations.
- VFRee-T01 Toy Drone Toy drone for beginners: 21.8g weight, 80x80x30mm size, 21-minute flight time with 3 batteries, auto-hovering, 6-axis gyro stability, 2.4GHz anti-interference. Launched as part of the Hello DRONE Project to promote drone awareness in education, entertainment, and shopping applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Inspection construction period reduced by up to 60%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use VFR
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
VFR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
VFR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- 福井県minorPartnership for sewerage DX using IBIS2 compact drone at Kuzuryu River Purification Center. Prefecture provides inspection challenges; VFR provides on-site support and survey proposals.
- 静岡県磐田市minorPartnership for tsunami evacuation announcement drone demonstration experiment. VFR to install domestic drone port at coastal area for automated disaster response including evacuation announcements and damage monitoring.
- 三郎電気株式会社 (Ratta社Supernote)minorMass production manufacturing partnership for Ratta electronic notebook Supernote. VFR applies drone manufacturing expertise to consumer electronics production.
- 信濃毎日新聞社minorComprehensive business partnership for drone utilization with Shinano Mainichi Newspaper. Joint events for drone and air mobility social acceptance including Shinshu Drone Friendship Day 2026.
- 株式会社モルフォminorJoint exhibition at SXSW 2025 in Austin. Combining VFR drone technology with Morpho's image processing and AI technology for new value propositions in image recognition.
- Casley Deep Innovations株式会社minorGo-tech project partner providing web3.0 technology and Hyper Secure Network/Storage for drone data. Collaboration on India agritech drone project with Makuta Amenity.
- マクタアメニティ株式会社minorJICS project partner for India agritech drone application. Provides patented taste visualization technology for agricultural product quality quantification using drone imagery.
- TD SYNNEX株式会社minorCo-sponsor and partner for drone comprehensive exhibition 2024. Channel partnership for distribution of drone products in enterprise market.
- バウンダリ行政書士法人minorLegal advisory partnership for drone-related permit applications and regulatory compliance. Handles everything from standard applications to high-difficulty flight permits, registration training centers, and audit measures.
- 岐阜大学 (国立大学法人東海国立大学機構)minorGo-tech project partner for ultra-compact drone real-time video sharing system development. University provides research expertise for human/object recognition technology.
- ENWA株式会社minorGo-tech project partner providing visual technology platform for drone project. Contributes video technology and internet-based visual platform development.
- Autel Robotics社minorDistribution partnership for EVO Max and EVO Nest drone port in Japan. EVO Max is latest drone with AI recognition, thermal camera, and 8K imaging for firefighting applications.
- 株式会社モビリティナビminorSales partnership for PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR surveying drone. Mobility Navi sells with VFR, provides pilot training and implementation support. Connected to三重Toyota Motor group.
- 株式会社プロドローンcorePD4B-M drone mass production partnership. PRODRONE designs surveying drones, VFR handles manufacturing and maintenance/support, both companies share sales. Also collaboration on PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR drone.
- ACSL / 理経 (SOTEN Virtual Trainer)coreJoint development of SOTEN Virtual Trainer VR flight simulator. ACSL provides SOTEN platform, VFR handles manufacturing and development, Rikei provides VR environment technology.
- ブルーイノベーション株式会社coreMOU signed November 2022 for one-stop drone solution provision. Blue Innovation provides Blue Earth Platform (BEP) for multi-drone remote control and coordination. VFR provides hardware platforms and ERP-based quality assurance. Development of Drone Configurator for online customization and quotation.
- KISSEI COMTEC株式会社minorSOTEN drone rental business partnership. Rents SOTEN and optional equipment including multispectral and zoom cameras for surveying, inspection, and disaster response applications.
- はむびっと株式会社minorSora-Katsu wedding drone service partnership. Operates drone schools in Odaiba, Shinjuku, Shibuya with 5,000+ pilots trained. Provides drone performance and air transportation services for weddings.
- 藤和那須リゾート株式会社minorHello DRONE Project partnership for drone education, entertainment, and shopping applications. Joint drone delivery service to cottages, wedding drone services, and drone experience attractions at Nasu Highland Park.
- 株式会社エアロminorManufacturing partnership at Aero Corporation facility. VFR Nagoya Factory operates within Aero, providing airplane structural assembly, painting, outfitting, and assembly capabilities.
- ACSL (株式会社自律制御システム研究所)coreJoint development of purpose-specific industrial drones starting from May 2020, including updates to existing PF2 and MINI models, and new purpose-optimized aircraft development. Collaboration expanded to include logistics drone development and VR flight simulator (SOTEN Virtual Trainer). ACSL provides autonomous control technology and aircraft platforms while VFR provides manufacturing and computing expertise.
- VAIO株式会社coreParent company relationship. VFR established as VAIO subsidiary leveraging PC manufacturing expertise, supply chain management, and facilities including Azumino manufacturing base. VAIO transfers computing and robotics technology knowledge to drone development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights7 records
VFR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Autel Robotics: Global drone manufacturer whose EVO Max and EVO Nest are distributed by VFR in Japan. Autel is a much larger global incumbent that competes in the same firefighting/inspection segments and could bypass distribution partners to enter Japan directly.
- DJI: Global market leader in commercial and industrial drones. DJI is the dominant incumbent across VFR's addressable segments (inspection, surveying, public safety) and represents the price/feature benchmark that VFR must beat to win domestic customers.
- Skydio: US-based autonomous drone leader focused on inspection, public safety, and defense. Skydio is a relevant comparable for VFR's autonomous flight and inspection ambitions and represents the gold standard in autonomous navigation that VFR must approach to compete internationally.
Direct peers
- Liberaware: Japanese maker of the IBIS2 ultra-compact inspection drone for confined spaces. Liberaware designs the hardware and VFR wraps it into its VFR Inspection service business, putting them both as direct peers in narrow-space inspection drone solutions.
- ACSL: Japanese industrial drone manufacturer that designs SOTEN and other small drones; VFR manufactures ACSL-designed platforms and both companies co-develop products. ACSL is both core partner and the most direct domestic peer in the Japanese industrial drone market.
- Blue Innovation: Japanese drone platform provider offering Blue Earth Platform for multi-drone remote control. Signed an MOU with VFR in November 2022 for one-stop drone solutions, making Blue Innovation both a partner and a competing platform provider in the integrated drone solution category.
- PRODRONE: Japanese commercial drone manufacturer focused on surveying and industrial applications. VFR mass-produces PRODRONE's PD4B-M and jointly developed PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR drone, making PRODRONE both a core partner and direct peer in industrial/surveying drones.
Emerging players
- Sensin Robotics: Japanese drone inspection services company and fellow ToA Project member. Sensin competes directly with VFR Inspection in the infrastructure and confined-space inspection services category in Japan.
- SUNDRED: Japanese drone operator and Take Off Anywhere (ToA) Project co-member alongside VFR. Operates drone social-implementation projects including ToA drone port products, making SUNDRED an overlapping peer in drone port and social-implementation offerings.
Regional players
- KDDI Smart Drone: Japanese telecom-affiliated drone service and platform company. As KDDI is a VFR investor and partner, KDDI Smart Drone represents an adjacent platform play that could either route demand to VFR or expand its own drone services into VFR's customer segments.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
VFR social profiles
Digital presenceVFR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
VFR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VFR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
VFR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VFR 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 VFR
What does VFR do?
VFR Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells industrial drones and peripheral equipment in Japan, offering a vertically integrated portfolio spanning the SOTEN domestic industrial drone, PRODRONE SCAN LiDAR surveying drone, EVO Max (Autel) AI-recognition drone, IBIS2 ultra-compact inspection drone, SOTEN Virtual Trainer VR simulator, and the VFR Drone Port automated deployment system. The company also provides outsourced inspection services (VFR Inspection), drone-specific customer support (VFR Customer Support), and operates the VFR SHOP e-commerce platform, serving municipal governments, fire departments, and infrastructure operators across Japan.
Is VFR a public or private company?
VFR is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was VFR founded?
VFR was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is VFR based?
VFR is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does VFR make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are contract Manufacturing, inspection Services, maintenance and Support, VR Simulation and drone Port Solutions.
Who are VFR's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Autel Robotics, DJI and Skydio. Direct peers are Liberaware, ACSL, Blue Innovation and PRODRONE. Emerging players are Sensin Robotics and SUNDRED. KDDI Smart Drone is listed as a regional player.
Does VFR have an API?
No public API is recorded for VFR.
What industry is VFR in?
VFR's product category is Industrial Drones. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAL, UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure, with a secondary code of IMABAIAO, UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid). Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3812.