Drone Class

What Drone Class does

Drone Class B.V. is a Netherlands-based (Duiven, Gelderland) EASA-recognized drone training organization operating as an approved UAS flight school and designated theory-exam entity under four regulatory authorizations (NL-RTF-505/4, NL-UAS.RE-505, IENW/BSK-2025/259278 and the VLOS/BVLOS authorization NLD-OAT-223-02G). The company delivers online and blended learning for the EU Dronebewijs (A1-A3 and A2 certificates), specific-category training under STS/PDRA/SORA frameworks, recurrent training, practical flight training, a Drone Class Plus consumer subscription (€8.95-€14.95/month) covering photography, videography and inspection courses, an Ops Center B2B dronebox solution for BVLOS surveillance and inspection, and resale of DJI drone hardware with bundled training benefits. With 7 employees and course content offered in seven European languages, the platform integrates Adobe Lightroom/Premiere Pro for post-processing education and DroneDeploy for mission planning and inspection data, while regulatory partner AirHub handles specific-category exploitation permits.

Revenue is split across five streams: one-time online course fees (€99-€199 for open-category certification, from €599 for specific-category theory), recurring subscriptions (€79/year recurrent training; €8.95-€14.95/month Drone Class Plus), professional flight training services (€399-€1,999 per practical module), DJI hardware resale and B2B managed services via Ops Center. Distribution runs through country-localized webshops (eudronebewijs.nl, eudrohnenpruefung.de, dronelicense.eu, patentino-drone.it), five Dutch VMBO/MBO education-channel partners (Curio, Yuverta, Koning Willem I College, Rijn IJssel, STO Regio Arnhem, totaling 50+ schools since 2019) and direct B2B field sales for the Ops Center product. Customers include Dutch municipalities (Gemeente Breda, Rijksvastgoedbedrijf) and large enterprises (BASF, Bosch, Continental, PUMA, Uppsala University). Co-owner Sander Welgraven (2015 Dutch drone racing champion) and responsible manager Sem van Geffen lead a two-person leadership team; quality signals include a 4.9/5.0 review average and 95% first-attempt / 99% total exam pass rates.

Name

Drone Class

Legal name

Drone Class B.V.

Website

https://droneclass.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone Class B.V. is a Netherlands-based EASA-recognized UAS flight school (Duiven) providing online and blended drone certification (EU Dronebewijs), specific-category BVLOS enterprise solutions (Ops Center), subscription-based Drone Class Plus training, and DJI hardware resale for hobbyists, enterprises, and 50+ Dutch vocational schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Training and Certification Services

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL), Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs (EDAMADAJ)

Keywords

• Drone pilot training
• EASA certification courses
• BVLOS drone operations
• UAV flight school
• Aerial inspection training

Headquarters

HQ city

Duiven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Drone Certification Courses: One-time payment for online drone pilot certification courses including EU Dronebewijs (A1-A3 and A2 certificates), specific category theory, and recurrent training. Pricing ranges from €79-€199 for individual courses with group discounts available.
2. Drone Class Plus Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription service (€8.95 Basic / €14.95 Premium per month) providing access to photography, videography, and inspection courses, community access, online Q&A sessions, and exclusive member events including excursions and themed afternoons.
3. Practical Training Services: Physical flight lessons, practical training for video production (€399) and inspection (€449), VLOS practical sessions (€1,099), and BVLOS training (€1,999). Blended learning approach combining online theory with hands-on flight training.
4. Drone Hardware Sales: Resale of DJI drone products including DJI Air 3S, DJI Avata 2, DJI Mavic 4 Pro, DJI Matrice 4 Series, DJI Mavic 30T, and DJI Inspire 3 with bundled training benefits and free shipping.
5. Ops Center Enterprise Solution: Full B2B dronebox solution for BVLOS operations including organization authorization support, personnel training, hardware, and software. Provided as managed service for companies and organizations in specific category operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Drone Class is a Dutch EASA-recognized drone flight school that delivers online and physical drone pilot certification training, including the EU Dronebewijs (A1-A3 and A2 certificates), specific category theory and practical training, BVLOS operational training, and a subscription-based community platform. The company also offers a B2B Ops Center solution for beyond visual line of sight surveillance and inspection operations, and resells DJI drone hardware with bundled training.

Product overview

Drone Class is a Dutch EASA-recognized drone flight school offering a unified training platform with multiple integrated products and services. The core offering consists of the EU Dronebewijs (online certification for A1-A3 and A2 certificates) and Specifieke Categorie Opleiding (blended training for specific category operations). These are supplemented by practical training modules (Vliegles A2, Praktijktraining Video/Inspectie), subscription service Drone Class Plus (online courses + community access), B2B Ops Center solution for BVLOS operations, Recurrent Training for annual knowledge maintenance, and DJI drone sales. The education vertical provides complete packages for VMBO and MBO schools. The product portfolio ranges from entry-level online certification (€99-199) to comprehensive BVLOS enterprise solutions (€1999+ for training).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ops Center: B2B solution for surveillance and inspection flights with drones from a control room.
• Drone Class Plus

Products and services

• EU Dronebewijs
• Specifieke Categorie Opleiding
• Vliegles A2
• Praktijktraining Video
• Praktijktraining Inspectie
• Praktijkgedeelte VLOS
• Praktijkgedeelte BVLOS
• Drone Class Plus
• Ops Center
• Recurrent Training
• CRM/MCC Training
• DJI Drone Sales
• Onderwijs (Education Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• 95%+ first attempt pass rate for drone certification exams
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AeroscanminorOthersListed as a partner on Drone Class website. Aeroscan is a Dutch drone services company specializing in aerial surveying and mapping.
• AirHub ConsultancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for drone operations platform and exploitation permit application services. AirHub handles regulatory applications while Drone Class provides pilot training. Together they offer complete solutions for specific category operations.
• AviAllminorOthersListed as a partner. AviAll - Aviation for All - focuses on democratizing aviation education and access.
• Blue DragonminorOthersListed as a partner. Blue Dragon is a Dutch company offering drone services.
• Flight DeckminorOthersInsurance partner recommended by Drone Class for drone liability insurance at approximately €200 per year with policy discounts for Drone Class training customers.
• Helix Aerial VisionminorOthersListed as a partner. Helix Aerial Vision is a drone services company.
• LUGN SecurityminorOthersListed as a partner. LUGN Security provides security solutions potentially integrated with drone surveillance capabilities.
• Techni ScienceminorOthersListed as a partner. Techni Science provides educational technology solutions.
• DJIcoreTechnology or IntegrationProduct partnership for DJI drone sales. Drone Class resells DJI products including DJI Air 3S, Avata 2, Mavic 4 Pro, Matrice 4 Series, Mavic 30T, and Inspire 3. DJI has a repair center in Netherlands.
• CuriocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partnership with Curio MBO school for drone specialist vocational training programs.
• YuvertacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partnership with Yuverta for VMBO and MBO drone education programs.
• Koning Willem I CollegecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partnership with Koning Willem I College for drone education curriculum delivery.
• Rijn IJsselcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partnership with Rijn IJssel for drone specialist training programs.
• STO Regio ArnhemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partnership through STO (Samenwerkingsorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven) Regio Arnhem for regional drone education coordination.
• RDWcoreOthersRegulatory partner for drone registration and operator number issuance in Netherlands. Drone Class facilitates certificate applications through RDW system.
• ILTcoreOthersHuman Environment and Transport Inspectorate - regulatory authority that grants exploitation permits for specific category drone operations and recognizes UAS flight schools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Altitude Angel: U-space and UTM platform provider for drone operations. Comparable as a regulated infrastructure layer adjacent to Drone Class's BVLOS Ops Center offering for enterprise operators.
• DroneDeploy: Drone mapping and inspection platform integrated into Drone Class Plus Premium. Comparable as an enabling technology layer for commercial drone operators, sharing the same enterprise inspection training pipeline.
• AirHub Consultancy: Drone Class's strategic partner for exploitation permit applications and operational management platform. Comparable as an EU U-space/UAS operations compliance vendor serving the same enterprise customers.

Direct peers

• UAV Coach: US-based online drone training platform with Part 107 prep and consumer certification courses. Comparable in online-first GTM and consumer drone-pilot certification focus, though US-skewed.
• Heliguy: UK-based drone training provider and DJI retailer offering EASA-aligned pilot certification, flight training, and enterprise drone solutions. Closest direct comparable in product, model, and customer overlap with Drone Class.
• Flyby Technology: UK drone training consultancy running EASA A2 and GVC courses along with enterprise drone operations support. Competes with Drone Class in regulated BVLOS and category-specific training for commercial operators.

Broad incumbents

• DJI Academy: Manufacturer-affiliated drone training programs from DJI. Comparable as a broader incumbent in drone education with significant scale, though training is product-tied rather than EASA-certification focused.

Regional players

• Drone Academy Austria: Austrian EASA-recognized drone training school operating in DACH, the geographic neighbor of Drone Class's German market. Direct overlap in EASA open and specific category certification courses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drone-class

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Drone Class