About Drones
There are 5.61K companies in the Drones sector across the world, with 1.41K funded companies having collectively raised $25.1B in venture capital money and private equity. Overall 538 of these are Series A+ funded and the sector has seen the creation of 6 Unicorns.
Drones sector has seen 206 acquisitions and 74 IPOs. This represents almost 5.0% of all such companies - which is higher than the 4.9% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes drones are defined as any powered unmanned aerial heavier-than-air vehicle (manual or autonomous) and excludes unmanned ground, undersea and surface vehicles.
Drones sector is also known as Unmanned Aerial Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Flying Robots or Quadcopter.
Companies included in Drones sector
Includes manufacturers of consumer, commercial and military, fixed-wing, rotor and tethered unmanned aerial vehicles; providers of software for general operation and control, navigation, autopilot, collision avoidance, fleet management, airspace and flight path mapping; UAV-enabled service providers such as drone/drone pilot marketplaces and rental platforms; drone hardware parts, accessories and peripherals including spare parts, payloads and sensors; drone detection and anti-drone technologies including anti-drone geofencing companies.Companies excluded in Drones sector
Excludes unmanned ground vehicles (military, commercial and consumer RC toys), unmanned underwater vehicles; online stores in multi-brand drone retail; drone resellers and distributors; drone-focused online discussion and review forums, and drone-focused social media platformsMarket Map of Drones
The market map of Drones gives a visual overview of the sector, showing key business models, their interactions in the value chain, and industry evolution. Top 3 trending business models in Drones sector are Commercial Drones, Drone Software and Drone Peripherals.
Reports related to Drones
Here are some reports related to Drones sector:
Free
Drones - Sector Report
Edition: January, 2026 (80 Pages)
Premium
Drones Investor Landscape
Edition: July, 2025 (12 Pages)
Premium
Drones Exit Landscape
Edition: May, 2025 (12 Pages)
View all reports related to Drones. Sign up today!Top Companies in Drones
There are more than 5.61K companies in Drones. DJI is the top Drones company globally, ranked using Tracxn Score (what's this?).
Here are 5 of the top Drones companies globally:
Company | Description | Location | Founded | Current Stage | Private Funding Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manufacturer of camera drones, handheld devices, and related lifestyle technology | Shenzhen (China) | 2006 | Series B | $105M | |
Manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and related software and solutions | Paris (France) | 1994 | Public | - | |
Developer of autonomous defense systems powered by AI software | Costa Mesa (United States) | 2017 | Series G | $6.29B | |
Developer of multi-sensor unmanned aerial systems | Gilching (Germany) | 2015 | Series C | $618M | |
Developer of precision agriculture technology providing imagery and data-driven insights | Saint Paul (United States) | 2014 | Acquired | $54.7M |
Companies founded year-on-year in the Drones sector
1 new startup has been founded so far in 2026 in the Drones sector. 412 Drones startups were founded in 2018 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 1 |
2025 | 30 |
2024 | 79 |
2023 | 155 |
2022 | 198 |
2021 | 257 |
2020 | 336 |
2019 | 411 |
2018 | 412 |
2017 | 389 |
Companies founded across countries in the Drones sector
United States has 1,520 Drones startups, the most by any country, followed by India which has 768 startups and United Kingdom which has 379.
- Total Number of Companies
Country | No. of companies |
|---|---|
United States | 1,520 |
India | 768 |
United Kingdom | 379 |
China | 363 |
Canada | 212 |
Germany | 181 |
Australia | 176 |
France | 167 |
Spain | 146 |
Israel | 113 |
Stage-wise distribution of the Drones sector
Out of the total 5,610 Drones companies, 1,413 have secured funding. Among them, 538 have reached Series A or higher, and 398 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 5,610
Funded - 1,413
Series A+ - 538
Series B+ - 398
Series C+ - 319
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 5,610 |
Funded | 1,413 |
Series A+ | 538 |
Series B+ | 398 |
Series C+ | 319 |
Want to know more about Drones ? Signup and explore Tracxn for free
- 5.6K+ Total Companies
- $25.1B+ Total Funding
- 1.4K+ Funded Companies
- 70+ IPOs
- 205+ Acquisitions
- 35+ Reports
Funding Trends in the Drones sector
Total funding year-on-year in the Drones sector
The Drones sector saw a total funding of more than $23.2B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2025 at more than $5.76B. There has been a total funding of $2.76B in 2026 till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $2.76B |
2025 | $5.76B |
2024 | $2.96B |
2023 | $2.18B |
2022 | $3.61B |
2021 | $2.21B |
2020 | $1.52B |
2019 | $897M |
2018 | $646M |
2017 | $625M |
Total funding across countries in the Drones sector
In the last 10 years, Drones startups in United States have recieved the highest funding among all countries - $15.9B. China follows with $1.77B and Germany with $1.2B.
- Total Funding
Country | Total Funding |
|---|---|
United States | $15.9B |
China | $1.77B |
Germany | $1.2B |
India | $752M |
United Kingdom | $596M |
Switzerland | $575M |
Israel | $568M |
France | $75.9M |
Canada | $72.1M |
Spain | $29.8M |
Total funding amount raised by stage in the Drones sector
Over the last 10 years, the Drones sector have seen $1.02B into Seed Stage funding rounds, $6.6B into Early Stage funding rounds and $13.8B go into Late Stage funding rounds.
Funding Stage | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Late Stage | $13.8B |
Early Stage | $6.6B |
Seed Stage | $1.02B |
Debt | $849M |
Post IPO | $561M |
Grant | $178M |
PE | $1.51M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Drones
In the year 2026, till April 2026, Drones companies have raised $2.58B in equity funding across 40 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till April 2025), Drones companies had raised $1.02B across 49 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 151.4% rise in funding in Drones companies as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Drones:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series C | 4587 | Apr 02, 2026 | - | |
Seed | 3127 | Apr 01, 2026 | ||
Series B | 5254 | Apr 01, 2026 | ||
Series G | 9773 | Mar 26, 2026 | ||
Series A | 9882 | Mar 25, 2026 |
Top Investors in Drones
Europa is the top investor in Drones companies based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Drones:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Brussels (Belgium) | ||
New York City (United States) | ||
Mountain View (United States) | ||
Arlington (United States) |
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M&A activity in Drones
In the year 2026, till February 2026, 6 acquisitions happened in Drones sector. Last year, in 2025, a total of 18 acquisitions happened in Drones sector.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Drones:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Feb 24, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 18, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 09, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 02, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jan 28, 2026 |
Acquisition trends in Drones
Here are the acquisition trends in Drones:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 6 |
2025 | 18 |
2024 | 21 |
2023 | 22 |
2022 | 22 |
2021 | 30 |
2020 | 18 |
2019 | 19 |
2018 | 16 |
2017 | 11 |
IPOs in Drones
In the year 2026, till March 2026, 1 IPO happened in Drones sector.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Drones:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Mar 17, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Dec 08, 2025 | London Stock Exchange (LSE) | |
Sep 30, 2025 | National Stock Exchange (NSE) | |
Jun 06, 2025 | OTC Markets (OTCMKTS) | |
Nov 29, 2024 | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) |
Colleges which produce the most Drones companies
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Drones sector
Most number of Drones startups have been founded by alumni from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Tel Aviv University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 41 |
Stanford University | 40 |
Tel Aviv University | 21 |
Harvard University | 16 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 14 |
Harvard Business School | 14 |
IIT Kanpur | 14 |
BITS Pilani | 12 |
IIT Bombay | 11 |
University of California (Berkeley) | 11 |
Total funding in companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the the Drones sector
In the last 10 years, Cornell University graduates' Drones companies have raised the most funding among top colleges. Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni are second, and Harvard University alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Cornell University | $6.33B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $4.79B |
Harvard University | $3.87B |
Stanford University | $1.04B |
University of California (Berkeley) | $1.02B |
Duke University | $598M |
Harvard Business School | $491M |
University of Cambridge | $431M |
The University of Edinburgh | $235M |
University of Oxford | $234M |
Top News in Drones
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Red Cat Reports Record Q4 Revenue Growth and 161% Full-Year IncreaseGlobeNewswire•Mar 18, 2026•Red Cat
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Draganfly Demonstrates Advanced Drone Capabilities for Canadian Armed ForcesGlobeNewswire•Mar 16, 2026•Draganfly
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Draganfly to Participate in Canadian Working Group for AccessibilityGlobeNewswire•Feb 19, 2026•Draganfly
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Duke Robotics Launches AEROTRACE™ AI-Powered Aerial Monitoring SolutionGlobeNewswire•Feb 05, 2026•Duke Robotic Systems
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