About Drones
There are 6.51K companies in the Drones sector across the world, with 1.5K funded companies having collectively raised $34.9B in venture capital money and private equity. Overall 580 of these are Series A+ funded and the sector has seen the creation of 10 Unicorns.
Drones sector has seen 217 acquisitions and 86 IPOs. This represents almost 4.7% of all such companies - which is higher than the 3.8% 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: October, 2026 (83 Pages)
Premium
Drones Investor Landscape
Edition: July, 2025 (12 Pages)
Premium
Drones Exit Landscape
Edition: October, 2026 (15 Pages)
View all reports related to Drones. Sign up today!Top Companies in Drones
There are more than 6.51K 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
99 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Drones sector. 448 Drones startups were founded in 2019 - 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 | 99 |
2025 | 168 |
2024 | 163 |
2023 | 210 |
2022 | 234 |
2021 | 293 |
2020 | 363 |
2019 | 448 |
2018 | 445 |
2017 | 410 |
Companies founded across countries in the Drones sector
United States has 1,666 Drones startups, the most by any country, followed by India which has 989 startups and China which has 447.
- Total Number of Companies
Country | No. of companies |
|---|---|
United States | 1,666 |
India | 989 |
China | 447 |
United Kingdom | 433 |
Canada | 234 |
Germany | 221 |
Australia | 189 |
France | 177 |
Spain | 153 |
Israel | 124 |
Stage-wise distribution of the Drones sector
Out of the total 6,508 Drones companies, 1,499 have secured funding. Among them, 580 have reached Series A or higher, and 428 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 6,508
Funded - 1,499
Series A+ - 580
Series B+ - 428
Series C+ - 346
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 6,508 |
Funded | 1,499 |
Series A+ | 580 |
Series B+ | 428 |
Series C+ | 346 |
Want to know more about Drones ? Signup and explore Tracxn for free
- 6.5K+ Total Companies
- $34.9B+ Total Funding
- 1.5K+ Funded Companies
- 85+ IPOs
- 215+ 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 $32.5B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding has been in 2026 at more than $11.7B till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $11.7B |
2025 | $6.16B |
2024 | $3.02B |
2023 | $2.19B |
2022 | $3.66B |
2021 | $2.23B |
2020 | $1.48B |
2019 | $898M |
2018 | $637M |
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 $1.75B.
- Total Funding
Country | Total Funding |
|---|---|
United States | $22B |
Germany | $2.87B |
China | $1.75B |
India | $893M |
United Kingdom | $684M |
Switzerland | $571M |
Israel | $566M |
France | $170M |
Canada | $78.5M |
Spain | $24.4M |
Total funding amount raised by stage in the Drones sector
Over the last 10 years, the Drones sector have seen $1.11B into Seed Stage funding rounds, $7.36B into Early Stage funding rounds and $21.8B go into Late Stage funding rounds.
Funding Stage | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Late Stage | $21.8B |
Early Stage | $7.36B |
Seed Stage | $1.11B |
Debt | $854M |
Post IPO | $635M |
Grant | $185M |
PE | $8.08M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Drones
In the year 2026, till October 2026, Drones companies have raised $11.4B in equity funding across 140 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till October 2025), Drones companies had raised $4.92B across 152 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 131.28% 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 C | 6117 | Oct 25, 2026 | ||
Series A | 4301 | Oct 22, 2026 | ||
Series A | 8878 | Oct 19, 2026 | ||
Seed | 9446 | Oct 13, 2026 | ||
Series A | 4518 | Oct 12, 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 October 2026, 22 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 | Oct 06, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 18, 2026 | - | |
Business Acquisition | Sep 02, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 27, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 10, 2026 |
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Acquisition trends in Drones
Here are the acquisition trends in Drones:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 22 |
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 October 2026, 7 IPOs happened in Drones sector.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Drones:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Oct 13, 2026 | Helsinki Exchange (HEL) | |
Sep 21, 2026 | OTC Markets (OTCMKTS) | |
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) |
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 Harvard University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 37 |
Stanford University | 34 |
Harvard University | 18 |
IIT Kanpur | 18 |
Tel Aviv University | 15 |
BITS Pilani | 14 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 13 |
Harvard Business School | 13 |
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 | $11.3B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $5.31B |
Harvard University | $4.4B |
HEC Paris | $2.66B |
Harvard Business School | $1.22B |
Stanford University | $1.2B |
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) | $605M |
University of Cambridge | $290M |
University of Pennsylvania | $244M |
University of Oxford | $234M |
Top News in Drones
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Stereolabs Launches ZED Box 2 Series for Physical AI and Vision in Production RobotsRoboticstomorrow•Oct 27, 2026•Stereolabs
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Red Cat unveils surveillance drone, combines aerial systems under new brand (RCAT:NASDAQ)Seeking Alpha•Oct 12, 2026•Red Cat
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Gogo and Insitu Collaborate on Group 3 UAS Connectivity SolutionGlobeNewswire•Sep 22, 2026•Insitu, Gogo
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Skyways and DSV Partner for Offshore Autonomous Cargo LogisticsPR Newswire•Sep 21, 2026•DSV, Skyways
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Morgan Stanley Investment Management's first growth equity fund raises $1.3B (MS:NYSE)Seeking Alpha•Sep 16, 2026•Morgan Stanley, Anduril, Ramp, Databricks
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AVI-SPL and Matternet Partner on Autonomous Drone Delivery for Mission-Critical Service LogisticsGlobeNewswire•Sep 15, 2026•AVI-SPL, Matternet
