About Drones
There are 6.14K companies in the Drones sector across the world, with 1.47K funded companies having collectively raised $34.1B in venture capital money and private equity. Overall 567 of these are Series A+ funded and the sector has seen the creation of 8 Unicorns.
Drones sector has seen 214 acquisitions and 81 IPOs. This represents almost 4.8% of all such companies - which is higher than the 4.3% 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: August, 2026 (78 Pages)
Premium
Drones Investor Landscape
Edition: July, 2025 (12 Pages)
Premium
Drones Exit Landscape
Edition: June, 2026 (15 Pages)
View all reports related to Drones. Sign up today!Top Companies in Drones
There are more than 6.14K 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 stabilizers and intelligent agricultural equipment | Shenzhen (China) | 2006 | Series B | $605M | |
AI-powered aerial intelligence and reconnaissance systems | Gilching (Germany) | 2015 | Series D | $1.82B | |
Manufacturer of uncrewed aerial systems for military and civilian applications | Bengaluru (India) | 2018 | Series B | $73.2M | |
Manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and related software and solutions | Paris (France) | 1994 | Public | - | |
Provider of AI-driven defense and autonomous systems across air, land, sea, and space domains | Costa Mesa (United States) | 2017 | Series H | $11.3B |
Companies founded year-on-year in the Drones sector
86 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Drones sector. 429 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 | 86 |
2025 | 116 |
2024 | 118 |
2023 | 177 |
2022 | 220 |
2021 | 272 |
2020 | 346 |
2019 | 427 |
2018 | 429 |
2017 | 399 |
Companies founded across countries in the Drones sector
United States has 1,621 Drones startups, the most by any country, followed by India which has 874 startups and United Kingdom which has 417.
- Total Number of Companies
Country | No. of companies |
|---|---|
United States | 1,621 |
India | 874 |
United Kingdom | 417 |
China | 416 |
Canada | 224 |
Germany | 213 |
Australia | 178 |
France | 169 |
Spain | 151 |
Israel | 123 |
Stage-wise distribution of the Drones sector
Out of the total 6,136 Drones companies, 1,468 have secured funding. Among them, 567 have reached Series A or higher, and 417 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 6,136
Funded - 1,468
Series A+ - 567
Series B+ - 417
Series C+ - 335
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 6,136 |
Funded | 1,468 |
Series A+ | 567 |
Series B+ | 417 |
Series C+ | 335 |
Want to know more about Drones ? Signup and explore Tracxn for free
- 6.1K+ Total Companies
- $34.1B+ Total Funding
- 1.5K+ Funded Companies
- 80+ IPOs
- 210+ 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 $31.7B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding has been in 2026 at more than $10.8B till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $10.8B |
2025 | $6.14B |
2024 | $3.02B |
2023 | $2.19B |
2022 | $3.66B |
2021 | $2.23B |
2020 | $1.54B |
2019 | $895M |
2018 | $638M |
2017 | $623M |
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 - $22B. Germany follows with $2.87B and China with $1.76B.
- Total Funding
Country | Total Funding |
|---|---|
United States | $22B |
Germany | $2.87B |
China | $1.76B |
India | $866M |
United Kingdom | $674M |
Israel | $593M |
Switzerland | $571M |
France | $148M |
Canada | $68.5M |
Spain | $24.6M |
Total funding amount raised by stage in the Drones sector
Over the last 10 years, the Drones sector have seen $1.07B into Seed Stage funding rounds, $7.23B into Early Stage funding rounds and $21.3B go into Late Stage funding rounds.
Funding Stage | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Late Stage | $21.3B |
Early Stage | $7.23B |
Seed Stage | $1.07B |
Debt | $854M |
Post IPO | $656M |
Grant | $180M |
PE | $8.08M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Drones
In the year 2026, till August 2026, Drones companies have raised $10.5B in equity funding across 107 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till August 2025), Drones companies had raised $4.71B across 118 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 123.28% 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 A | 1738 | Aug 31, 2026 | ||
Series B | 5018 | Aug 31, 2026 | ||
Series A | 3042 | Aug 26, 2026 | and 3 more | |
Series B | 6186 | Aug 26, 2026 | ||
Series B | 2132 | Aug 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 August 2026, 19 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 | Aug 27, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 10, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 10, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 30, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 07, 2026 |
Acquisition trends in Drones
Here are the acquisition trends in Drones:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 19 |
2025 | 18 |
2024 | 21 |
2023 | 22 |
2022 | 22 |
2021 | 31 |
2020 | 18 |
2019 | 19 |
2018 | 16 |
2017 | 10 |
IPOs in Drones
In the year 2026, till August 2026, 5 IPOs happened in Drones sector.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Drones:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Aug 24, 2026 | Korea Exchange (KRX) | |
May 15, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
May 15, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Apr 10, 2026 | Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) | |
Mar 17, 2026 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) |
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 Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Stanford University | 33 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 30 |
Harvard University | 16 |
IIT Kanpur | 16 |
BITS Pilani | 13 |
Harvard Business School | 13 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 12 |
Tel Aviv University | 12 |
University of California (Berkeley) | 11 |
IIT Bombay | 10 |
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 | $11.3B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $5.19B |
Harvard University | $4.4B |
HEC Paris | $2.66B |
Stanford University | $1.25B |
Harvard Business School | $630M |
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) | $605M |
University of Cambridge | $290M |
University of Pennsylvania | $242M |
University of Oxford | $234M |
Top News in Drones
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Duke Robotics Reports Q2 2026 Financial Results and Business UpdateGlobeNewswire•Aug 13, 2026•Duke Robotic Systems
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Red Cat Holdings Promotes Mitch McDonald to Divisional CEO of UAS OperationsGlobeNewswire•Aug 12, 2026•Red Cat
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Red Cat's Teal Drones Advances to Gauntlet II of Drone Dominance ProgramGlobeNewswire•Jul 03, 2026•Red Cat
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