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If you are a drone fan, it’s likely that you are aware of what the French drone manufacturer Parrot has done for the industry. Parrot’s toy drones, which were simple to fly and packed with functionality, were its main selling point for casual drone lovers all over the world. Beginner drone fans frequently utilised Parrot’s drones before upgrading to more costly, advanced drones due to its low cost and simple-to-replace parts. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that hundreds of skilled drone pilots began their careers with a Parrot drone for the same reason.

Considering how common Parrot’s toy drones were in the consumer drone market, the fact that they are no longer available may come as a surprise to many seasoned drone aficionados. What transpired to Parrot and its play drones, then? As it turns out, Parrot stopped manufacturing consumer drones in 2019. Let’s look into some of the potential causes of this.

Why did Parrot stop making toy drones?

Most people are unaware of the reasons why Parrot left the consumer drone industry in 2019, despite the fact that we all know it happened. The simplest explanation would be the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI’s absolute control of the consumer drone industry. With its well-liked Mavic, Spark, and Phantom drones, DJI commanded a dominant third of the consumer drone industry in 2018, a year before Parrot left the market. This pattern is still prevalent today. At the moment, Parrot’s financial condition was also not looking bright.

Instead, the head honchos at Parrot thought it was better off focusing its efforts in the commercial drone space, which had the potential to help them shore up the revenues. By July 2019, Parrot stepped away from the consumer drone space and focused all its attention on the commercial drone space.

How Parrot has fared since it stopped making consumer drones?

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Terra Drone Corporation, a leading drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology provider, is expanding into the precision agriculture sector by acquiring the business of Avirtech, a leading startup providing agricultural drone spraying and mapping service in Southeast Asia. Terra Drone establishes a new company Terra Drone Agri in Malaysia. Terra Drone continues to expand its business under the new business brand “Terra Agri” in Malaysia and Indonesia.

As farmers around the world increasingly adopt agricultural drones, governments and regulators are beginning to recognize the many benefits of this technology. By reducing the use of pesticides and delivering growth with a significantly lower carbon footprint, drones empower farmers to become climate smart.

Leading drone research firms such as Drone Industry Insights recognize Japan’s Terra Drone as one of the top drone service providers in the world. Terra Drone has successfully completed more than 3,000 surveys and inspection projects in 10 countries to date, while its subsidiary Unifly’s the unmanned traffic management (UTM) system has become the most widely adopted in North America, Europe, and Middle East.

Avirtech specializes in providing pesticide spraying and mapping services using drones and artificial intelligence (AI). The company’s solutions aid palm oil-focused farmers and plantation companies to minimize crop failures, resulting in a 30% reduction in operating costs. Executing up to 4,000 flights daily, Avirtech has contributed to the scientific cultivation of more than 200,000 hectares of land in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Indonesia and Malaysia are known as major palm oil producers, accounting for around 80% of global production. However, these countries face serious issues including deforestation, ecological impacts, harsh labor conditions, labor shortages, and other environmental problems. Moreover, soaring prices stemming from a shortage of palm oil supply have become a major concern.

Through these businesses, Avirtech has contributed to solving labor shortages, enhancing worker safety, and boosting productivity in the palm oil industry. Also, it is expected to continue to address these issues and support sustainable palm oil production while also providing value from an ESG investment perspective.

The integration of Terra Drone’s global UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology leadership with Avirtech’s precision farming prowess has led to the expansion of Terra Agri. The primary focus market for this new business is Indonesia and Malaysia.

Toru Tokushige, Founder and CEO at Terra Drone Corporation, says, “Terra Drone is entering the agricultural sector anew with the transfer of business from Avirtech. The integration of our expertise with Avirtech’s groundbreaking crop intelligence technologies opens doors to unprecedented opportunities for enhancing productivity, optimizing resource allocation, and promoting environmental sustainability in farming.”

Rendy Ferixsen, CEO at Avirtech, adds, “We are pleased to announce the sale of our business to Terra Drone. This strategic progression not only empowers us to redefine the potential of agricultural drone solutions but also reinforces our unswerving dedication to technological excellence.”

Wilson Ong, COO at Avirtech says, “We believe Terra Drone will further elevate our technology to our customers and bring further advancement into Agriculture 4.0.”

About Terra Drone Corporation
Founded in 2016, Terra Drone is a leading drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology. Our indigenous and patented drone surveying and inspection solutions are being leveraged by the oil and gas, chemical, and construction industries in Japan and abroad. Our systems for unmanned traffic management (UTM) and efficient UAM have also been introduced in eight countries around the world. We’ve been ranked No. 2 in the world in the “Top commercial drone service providers ranking 2022” by Drone Industry Insights, a global drone market research organization. For more information, please visit: www.terra-drone.net

About Avirtech
Avirtech provides crop intelligence and plantation control systems for monitoring site conditions through aerial and ground information, such as topography, crop health, soil quality, rainfall and farm operations activity, and other processes necessary for production cycles. Avirtech’s solutions help to optimize crop yield and reduce costs for plantations. Through precision agriculture and data-driven insights, Avirtech accelerates the digitalization of plantations to solve workforce shortages and improve long-term sustainability.

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Zipline, a drone delivery company, said in its latest filing that it had raised $330 million in a Series F fundraising round in April. This is noteworthy in a sector where few companies have been able to do so at such high valuations.

Zipline, a South San Francisco-based company, is seeking the money at a valuation that is a 55% increase from the $2.7 billion it was valued at two years ago.

The per-share price was $40.20 according to the April 10 Delaware filing, with a potential Series F-1 renewal of up to $20 million that might be added, allowing the total sum raised to change. At the time of publishing, no primary investor was specified or named.

According to reports, Zipline announced the additional financing in a statement and intends to utilise the money to grow its business, which will likely include starting an additional home delivery service.

Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Katalyst Ventures, GV, Pactolus Ventures, Emerging Capital Partners, and Reinvent Capital are a few previous investors who declined to comment on the situation. The financing comes as Zipline introduces Platform 2, a new autonomous drone with a 10-mile range and an eight-pound payload capacity. The firm has worked with Sweetgreen, Michigan Medicine, and a number of other health institutions.

With first deployments in Rwanda in 2016 and growth to Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Utah, Zipline has achieved success by concentrating on poor nations.

The drone delivery startup started making commercial deliveries in cooperation with Walmart in 2021 after receiving an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deploy its drones for Covid-19 humanitarian supplies. However, FAA approval is still required for significant U.S. operations.

Later, the business received funding from companies like GV, the venture arm of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Andreessen Horowitz, Slow Ventures, Katalyst Ventures, and others. Its previous funding round in 2021 was led by Pactolus Ventures, Intercorp, Emerging Capital Partners, and Reinvent Capital. According to data from company tracker PitchBook, Zipline has since raised over $900 million with the additional capital.

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On March 16, 2023, Coca-Cola HBC signed a legally binding agreement to invest an unknown sum into Manna as part of a strategic partnership towards commercialising drone deliveries while lowering its carbon impact.

The strategic alliance that Coca-Cola HBC has established with Manna Technology is where the true shareholder value generation from this technology investment will occur.

Given the favourable outlook linked with the strategic significance of the deal as well as how it fits with Coca-Colas HBC’s digital solutions business plan, the market responded strongly to the investment announcement, similarly to the way it does with most other techquisition acquisitions.

Final Mile Transportation is Changing

Manna, a drone delivery business founded in 2018, Dublin, Ireland provides entirely self-driving drones with the goal of making speedy suburban deliveries safe, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly.

Manna is utilising the simplicity and ease of smartphone devices by enabling people to make an order via their app, making the ordering procedure straightforward and accessible. This action is being taken at a time when customers are demanding quicker and more effective service.

Continuous monitoring of the drone delivery is another crucial element that enhances Manna’s service’s dependability and transparency by giving clients the most recent updates on the progress of their deliveries.

The Marketplace for Drone Services Shipping is Doing Exceptional

The drone delivery business is one of the reasons Coca-Cola HBC and many of its competitors are so interested in it. It is predicted to rise from around $200 million in 2022 to $5.5 billion by 2030.

The table below shows the prediction between now and 2030:

For delivery companies, other commercial enterprises, and medical facilities, the use of drones is a cutting-edge mode of transportation.

Drones have become the most popular logistical approach in the worldwide supply chain because of their expedited delivery times, excellent precision, and little human involvement in the supply chain.

The rising environmental impact and global warming, two of the major problems facing the globe right now, are to blame for the growing need for these drones.

A Clear Chance for Change

Given the financial and environmental benefits, drone delivery may play a significant role in the delivery ecosystem.

In densely populated locations where parking and traffic can slow down delivery vehicles and raise expenses, drones can be quicker, more effective, and less expensive than traditional delivery methods.

Drones in logistics can lessen road congestion, noise pollution, and the carbon impact of delivery operations.

The investment into Manna Technology is entirely consistent with Coca-Cola HBC’s pledge to reduce environmental impact and, in the future, shift the route to market to one that is more sustainable.

In conclusion, the techquisition investment by Coca-Cola HBC is an excellent illustration of how a traditional company in the food and beverage sector takes an active role in the process of changing itself in order to provide greater value to its consumers, especially its shareholders and customers, by effectively preparing itself for the future and prepared to handle any disruptions.

The core of how such a change takes shape is embodied in the techquisition strategy execution technique, which the company, Aquaa Partners, established and continually provides to its clients as a knowledgeable and dependable expert partner.

When Coke Invests In Drones “It’s The Real Thing” | LinkedIn

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Guangzhou, China, March 28, 2023 – EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) (“EHang” or the “Company”), the world’s leading Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, announced that it has collaborated with Spain’s Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (“CATEC”) to successfully complete the BAUD project in Spain. Framed under the Invest in Spain program of ICEX Trade and Investment, and sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, the BAUD project aims at enhancing the operational safety and efficiency of Unmanned Aerial Systems (“UAS”) for aerial logistic missions, as well as enabling their integration in U-Space. 

After one year of intense industrial research, EHang and CATEC achieved the project objectives through the development of an autonomous airborne beacon, which provides more precise and comprehensive UAS positioning by using Global Navigation Satellite Systems, EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) and Galileo, along with providing the UAS status, remote e-ID (electronic identification) and other tactical information with U-Space systems. 

The flight test campaign of the BAUD project was conducted at CATEC’s Air Traffic Laboratory for Advanced Unmanned Systems (“ATLAS”) test flight center, using two EHang Falcon B (Logistics) autonomous aerial vehicles. The developed autonomous airborne beacon can not only be applied by EHang AAVs, but also by any UAS, and will enable the safe operation of UAS in European airspace, through their intelligent integration with U-Space systems. 

Victoria Xiang, COO of EHang Europe and Latin America, highlighted, “We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the BAUD project, achieving all of its goals and objectives. EHang welcomes public-private partnership opportunities for research, development, and investment in the UAS field in Spain. This has encouraged EHang to execute several innovation projects, share EHang’s world-leading technology and extensive international experience on Urban Air Mobility, and strengthen our wide technological collaboration network in Europe”.

About EHang

EHang (Nasdaq: EH) is the world’s leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company. Our mission is to make safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone. EHang provides customers in various industries with AAV products and commercial solutions: air mobility (including passenger transportation and logistics), smart city management, and aerial media solutions. As the forerunner of cutting-edge AAV technologies and commercial solutions in the global Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) industry, EHang continues to explore the boundaries of the sky to make flying technologies benefit our life in smart cities. For more information, please visit www.ehang.com.

About CATEC

The Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (“CATEC”), is a technological center oriented to the aeronautical sector with more than eleven years of experience in the development of technologies for Unmanned Aerial Systems, or UAS, including new technologies that allow the integration of autonomous aerial vehicles in the airspace and high precision navigation systems. CATEC also has a strong presence in working groups related to the new European drone regulation.

www.catec.aero

About ICEX

ICEX Trade and Investment is a publicly owned business-oriented entity of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism’s Secretary of State for Commerce, which works worldwide with the objective of promoting the internationalization of Spanish companies in order to improve their competitiveness and to add value to the Spanish economy as a whole, as well as boosting foreign investment in Spain. Its mission is to promote foreign direct investment (“FDI”) in Spain and to support business owners and entrepreneurs that want to set up their companies in Spain. The BAUD project was executed under the Invest in Spain program of ICEX Trade and Investment, and received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

www.icex.es

www.investinspain.org

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Many local government officials were invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the JOUAV Tech Park

The opening of the JOUAV Tech Park is a significant milestone in the industrial drone industry, made possible by the support of the Sichuan province, Chengdu city, and the Tianfu New Area Management Committee. The company aims to leverage its powerful manufacturing capabilities to enhance the industry’s innovation and technology levels and apply scientific research achievements in practice.

JOUAV Tech Park operates on a “high-standard, technological, and ecological” concept, seeking to create a safe, comfortable, and bright working environment for its employees while building a benchmark production line for the drone industry. The park’s expected production capacity is about 3,700 standard models, significantly improving the drone industry’s overall research and development and manufacturing level.

The company’s efficient and low-cost composite material body manufacturing technology, combined with advanced production equipment and processes, increases the production efficiency of composite materials by more than twice the original efficiency. The company’s high-precision CNC machine tools and advanced production testing equipment ensure the efficient production and processing of various unmanned aerial vehicle mechanical structural parts and molds and electrical components.

JOUAV has also mastered multi-platform flexible manufacturing technology, establishing a set of flexible drone production and manufacturing systems that enable the production of multiple varieties of drones on the same production line. This promotes the company’s efficient and agile response to customers’ needs.

JOUAV Chairman Ren Bin emphasizes that the establishment of the JOUAV Tech Park will be the cornerstone for maintaining the industrial drone industry’s core competitive advantages in production and manufacturing capabilities. The park marks a significant milestone in the development of the industrial drone industry, boosting the technological innovation and competitiveness of the industry as a whole.

Malaysian drone company, Malvus Sense, is an international partner of JOUAV.

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Photo Credit: Meraque

Selangor, Malaysia, 15 March 2023 – Meraque Group Sdn Bhd (Meraque) and DRB-HICOM Berhad EZ-Drive Sdn Bhd (AVIS), today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the alliance between the two organizations with the aim to further catalyse the growth of Malaysian drone industry. The MOU sees DRB-HICOM’s through its subsidiaries, AVIS Malaysia and Edaran Otomobil Nasional (EON) providing 100 vehicles starting from 2023 to Meraque to support its nationwide drone solution operations.

 The MOU was signed between Edaran Otomobil Nasional Berhad (EON)’s Chief Operating Officer, Shamsul Haq Bin Md Noh, Avis Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer, Mohd Syahrul Bin Yusuf and Meraque’s Chief Executive Officer, Md Razalee Ismail. This will facilitate Meraque’s drone operators nationwide to be deployed at sites carrying their hybrid drone sprayer which will be used to spray palm oil trees located within hard to reach areas and estates.

 “We have grown tremendously within these few years despite pivoting our business during the covid pandemic period. From a team of 4 to almost 200 and growing, of strong Meraque Aviators today, we will continue to scale as the demand for our solution continuous to grow nationwide and regionally as well” said Razalee.

Meraque was established in 2018 as a Facilities Management Building Services and evolved to venture in other industries like agriculture, telecommunication, training, academy and logistics. It is currently ranked 18th in the Drone Technology Service Provider in 2022 by Drone Industry Insights, a Market Research consultant based in Germany.

Meraque is targeting to penetrate more international markets in the next 5 to 10 years as it now has a foothold in Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan and Cambodia.

Boasting a large market share for drone powered solutions in Malaysia’s palm oil plantations sector, Meraque is looking to train and hire 200 talents by the end of 2023 to meet the growing demand of the drone industry in Malaysia. According to Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (MOSTI) Malaysia Drone Technology Action Plan 2022 -2030 (MDTAP30), the local drone industry is expected to generate RM 50.71 bil in GDP contribution and create 100,000 job opportunities by 2030.

Meraque has been actively involved in national drone initiatives providing its services and expertise during flood relief operations, supporting drone schools and universities programs as well as hiring programs for TVETs, retrenched workers and rural youths.

Meraque continuously innovates its drone technology solutions like the hybrid drones which can be deployed for other crops such as rubber, corn, coconut and others. Aside from agriculture, they are now actively doing telecommunications asset infrastructure inspection using drone-powered solutions to monitor their infrastructure and provide digital twin asset information for clients whose assets are located nationwide where those in geographically challenging terrains and logistically hard to reach makes it practical and convenient with the use of drone technology.

 More information about Meraque Group can be found at its new website – https://www.meraque.com.

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​Malaysia-headquartered Aerodyne Group, a a DT3 (Drone Tech, Data Tech, and Digital Transformation) drone-based enterprise solutions provider is expanding its geographical penetration and technological capabilities.

Japan’s Terra Drone, a provider of inspection and surveying drones, is expanding in the Middle East, capitalizing on its recent fundraising from a Saudi fund.

The companies placed first and second globally among remote sensing drone providers in a ranking published in November by Drone Industry Insights, a German researcher, based on indicators such as estimated revenue and amount of funding. The researcher said top companies in the remote-sensing field — those that provide aerial images and live views — are in a “very competitive” environment.

Aerodyne founder and CEO Kamarul Muhamed in late February told Nikkei Asia in Tokyo that the best strategy for them is to have strong local partners citing that having local partners that takes care of the regulations allows them to penetrate the market faster. 

Kamarul said the company also targets acquisitions that have specific technologies, such as drone delivery. “That’s the next big thing with drones,” he said. “So we are looking at making strategic investments in” the logistics niche.

Geographically, Australia, the Middle East, the U.S. and Malaysia are Aerodyne’s core markets.

However, Kamarul said India and Indonesia would be key markets in the long run. 

Industry peer Terra Drone also aims to lead the expanding industry. In a separate interview with Nikkei Asia in late February in Tokyo, founder and CEO Toru Tokushige noted that the drone industry will pick up steam by 2030, stressing that his company must “be in the top tier when that wave comes.”

The 7-year-old company, backed by Japanese oil company Inpex and trading house Mitsui & Co., offers survey and inspection services to the construction and energy industries and has strongholds in Indonesia, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Tokushige said he sees a massive opportunity for drone services in Middle Eastern markets, saying his company can play a role in transforming the oil-reliant economy. He added that Saudi provides “a friendly environment for experimenting with new technologies and the money to support emerging businesses.”

While companies develop safer and more efficient technologies, regulators create more industry-friendly rules, like the recent revision to the aviation law in Japan that allowed flights over residential areas without a direct line of sight.

Tokushige said Terra Drone was “getting close” to becoming a unicorn and could reach that milestone in two to three years.

Regarding exit plans, Aerodyne’s Kamarul said the company aims for an initial public offering in 2024 or 2025. “We are looking at Japan, Nasdaq, Hong Kong and Malaysia,” he said of his listing options. “We are exploring [the possibilities].”

Terra Drone’s Tokushige said an IPO was on the “to do” list, but the timing was important.

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