The story of drone pioneer DJI

The world’s leading manufacturer of consumer drones like the Mavic Pro, DJI has launched a string of market hits since the Phantom arrived in 2013. Founded in a Hong Kong dorm room, it’s now based in Shenzhen.

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Karen Chiu

Published: 5:58pm, 2 Oct 2018Updated: 8:08am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

In Season 8 of The Big Bang Theory, Raj had a new toy: A sleek, white, remote-controlled quadcopter. That appearance and another on South Park demonstrated how DJI’s Phantom was quickly becoming the symbol of a growing industry: Small consumer drones with cameras.

But this rapidly growing new sector, like the Phantom itself, wasn’t made or designed in the United States. Instead, it was a product of DJI, a Chinese startup that is now the world’s dominant maker of consumer drones.

ROAD TO SUCCESS

DJI was founded in 2006 by Frank Wang, a mainland-born student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. A model plane enthusiast, Wang started the company with the clear goal of making a flying toy that wouldn’t crash half the time.

Instead of working out of a dorm room, Wang and two classmates rented a tiny office in Shenzhen just across the border. For several months, he skipped classes and poured all his energy into building his dream.

At first, the company focused on making drone parts such as autopilot systems and gimbals. But their sights were set on building a complete drone that was ready to fly right out of the box.

WINNING STREAK

DJI’s first mass market hit, the Phantom, arrived in 2013. It sold for less than US$700 (minus the camera) but brought serious hardware, setting it far above the flimsy toy helicopters already on the market.