UAV and drone companies are making WAVES in the industry.
They’re innovating new technology, providing drone training programs, and coming up with new ways to use drones in society.
To highlight some of these businesses, we decided to put together a list of 70 drone companies to follow in 2016.
While these certainly aren’t all of the best companies in the space, we tried to include as many as we could to capture the full range of businesses making an impact on the industry and how we interact with these machines.
Whether you’re looking for drone companies to invest in or you’re a consumer/commercial pilot, these are some of the top UAV companies out there.
Make sure to bookmark this page if you’re doing industry research 
For easy navigation, we tried to categorize them based on their core offering. Use the following links to jump to each type of company:
Aerial Video, Data, & Imaging
Delivery Drones
Drone Startup Investing
Drone/Pilot Rental
Hardware
Manufacturers
Software
UAV Training and Support
Enjoy!
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Aerial Video, Data, & Imaging Companies
Skycatch
Skycatch’s mission is to “capture the world’s data and create visual intelligence to help people operate faster, safer, and smarter than ever before.” They provide actionable data using UAVs to help construction managers and engineers fine tune their operations. They’ve also developed a drone for aerial imaging and software to analyze the data.
Follow Skycatch: Twitter | Facebook
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Redbird
Redbird is a UAV operator providing 3D modeling and data analysis. They’ve developed a wide range of products that combine different kinds of UAVs, sensors and data processing chains to gather data people can use to make strategic decisions about their worksites (i.e. construction areas, quarries, power lines, etc).
Follow Redbird: Twitter | Facebook
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Pix4D
Pix4D provides unmanned aerial vehicle image processing software. Their desktop software is a complete mapping and modeling solution that automatically converts your aerial images into 2D mosaics and 3D models.
Follow Pix4D: Twitter | Facebook
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Sky-Futures
Sky-Futures offers oil and gas inspections by drone (both onshore and offshore). They can provide HD video, still, and thermal imagery. Check out this video to see them in action.
Follow Sky-Futures: Twitter | Facebook
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The Kansas City Drone Company
The Kansas City Drone Company offers state of the art aerial mapping, still photos, and videos. Their 2D precision maps are great for farmers, civil engineers, insurance adjusters, search and rescue teams, and conservation efforts. Their 3D maps can be used by corporate personnel for presentations, police to recreate crime scenes and accidents, and survey teams to calculate earth/rock removal operations.
Follow The Kansas City Drone Company: Facebook
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The Dutch Drone Company
The Dutch Drone Company is one of the few companies in Holland that are 100% certified to operate drones. They offer mapping and surveying services, amongst a host of other aerial photo and video applications.
Follow The Dutch Drone Company: Twitter | Facebook
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Measure
With FAA approval to fly 324 drones for business purposes, Measure was founded to help businesses avoid the operating risk and capital expense associated with running one’s own internal drone operations. They offer cost-effective mapping and aerial imaging solutions for customers World-wide.
Follow Measure: Twitter
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PrecisionHawk
PrecisionHawk’s mission is to “build the airspace platform delivering better answers, faster while enabling safe, low altitude flight.” They provide user-friendly data collection tools to collect and process high-quality data. PrecisionHawk offers everything from data processing to 3D terrain mapping.
Follow PrecisionHawk: Twitter | Facebook
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Kespry
Kespry manufactures drones made specifically for capturing, viewing, and analyzing aerial imagery and survey data. Their customers include aggregates, mining, construction and surveying companies.
Follow Kespry: Youtube | LinkedIn
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Image in Flight
Image in Flight offers site surveying services, among a host of other drone applications. They’re currently providing aerial images and videos of the new Sacramento Kings basketball stadium to help construction crews plan and monitor their work.
Follow Image in Flight: Twitter | Facebook
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SilverHawk Aerial Imaging
SilverHawk Aerial Imaging is a drone company offering visual data, multispectral data, 3D modeling, infrastructure inspecting, and asset monitoring. Check out this cool testimonial from their work with the Survivor Man television show.
Follow SilverHawk Aerial Imaging: Facebook
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DroneView Technologies
DroneView Technologies is a full-service drone provider that offers aerial imaging solutions, videography, photography, and pilot training. Check out their full range of applications here.
Follow DroneView Technologies: Twitter | Facebook
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Blue Chip UAS
Blue Chip Unmanned Aerial Solutions was founded by veterans of the military armed forces with 45+ years of military service. Their aerial imaging applications include photogrammetry, inspection, cinema, and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index).
Follow Blue Chip UAS: Twitter | Facebook
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Delivery Drones
Amazon.com
Amazon is not only one of the premier online drone retailers, they’re also attempting to roll out a drone delivery system — Amazon Prime Air. It’s designed to ” safely get packages to customers in 30 minutes or less using small unmanned aerial vehicles.” It will take some time to get regulatory clearance, but you can check out prototypes of their delivery drones here.
Follow Amazon.com: Twitter | Facebook
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Flirtey
Flirtey is the first approved delivery drone company. Right now, they’re testing with companies mainly in New Zealand and on a case-by-case basis in other countries, depending on aviation regulations. Flirtey is interested in working with companies in time-sensitive last mile logistics; including online retail, fast food, letters and parcels, urgent medical delivery, etc.
Follow Flirtey: Twitter
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Drone Startup Investing
SkyFund
SkyFund is a venture capital firm that invests in drone startup companies. They’re backed by DJI and Accel, and fund UAV entrepreneurs across a variety of application, hardware, peripheral and services categories.
Follow SkyFund: Twitter
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Commercial Drone Fund
Commercial Drone Fund invests in companies that want financing to help advance their drone technology and grow their business. They invest in sensor hardware, software applications, data analytics, services, and industry-specific solutions. They accept pitches here.
Follow Commercial Drone Fund: CrunchBase
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Drone and Pilot Rental
DroneBase
DroneBase is a service that allows you to either hire a drone pilot to complete a project or become a freelance pilot for them. They match up each job and pilot based on location, availability, and equipment required.
Follow DroneBase: Twitter | Facebook
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Air-Vid
Air-Vid is an online UAV pilot directory with pilots in over 60 countries World-wide. If you’re a pilot looking for work, request to join their directory here.
Follow Air-Vid: Twitter | Facebook
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Aviator.io
Aviator.io helps businesses connect with professional drone pilots who are certified and insured (each pilot gets manually reviewed). Their pilots range in applications from cinematography, to mapping, to inspection and monitoring.
Follow Aviator.io: Twitter | Facebook
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Hardware
InvenSense
InvenSense designs, develops, markets, and sells micro-electro-mechanical system gyroscopes for motion tracking devices in consumer electronics. They’re used in smartphones and tablets, and are an integral part of drone rigs as well.
Follow InvenSense: Twitter | Facebook
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MicroPilot
MicroPilot produces autopilots for unmanned aerial systems. They create autopilots for manufacturers of fixed-wing, transitional, helicopter, and multi-rotor UAVs. Features include airspeed and altitude hold, turn coordination, GPS navigation, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and autonomous operation from launch to recovery.
Follow MicroPilot: Twitter | Facebook
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PolarPro
PolarPro produces filters and other accessories for GoPro cameras. Their products have become extremely popular among drone aerial videographers. PolarPro was featured in an episode of Shark Tank and scored a $1 million deal with Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec for a 20% stake in the company.
Follow PolarPro: Twitter | Facebook
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Drone Manufacturers
DJI
DJI is one of the top consumer drone manufacturers, known mainly for their Phantom series. In mid-2015, they received a $75 million investment from Accel Partners, taking their overall valuation to $10 billion. Their Phantom series has become the quintessential drone for new to intermediate pilots and videographers, but as they expand into more advanced systems (like the Inspire One) their reach becomes even farther.
Follow DJI: Twitter | Facebook
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3D Robotics
3D Robotics is lead by Chris Anderson, former editor-in-chief of Wired magazine and the guy who accidentally started the drone boom. The company makes some of the most advanced systems around, like the IRIS+ and 3DR Solo. Both boast their extremely intuitive autopilot technology with easy-to-use controls and software. The company notes that “in drones we’re now seeing the convergence of numerous advanced technologies—cameras, computers, sensors, phones, the web, motors, electrical systems and custom hardware—and Solo is the first drone to fully leverage all of them.” 3D Robotics is a drone company to watch in 2016 and beyond.
Follow 3D Robotics: Twitter | Facebook
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Parrot
Parrot makes some of the best drones on the market. Their Bebop drone is always a favorite in lists around the web. Parrot also designs, develops and markets consumer products for smartphones and tablets other than consumer UAVs and drones.
Follow Parrot: Twitter | Facebook
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Matternet
Matternet is a UAV manufacturer that builds world-class flying vehicles and intelligent software. They developed the Matternet One, the first smart drone made exclusively for transportation.
Follow Matternet: Twitter | Facebook
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Game of Drones
Game of Drones makes drones that specialize in UAV sports. As a sponsor of the Aerial Sports League (ASL), they manufacture drone parts, accessories, and DIY kits for beginners and racers alike.
Follow Game of Drones: Website
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GoPro
While GoPro is primarily an action sports camera manufacturer, they’re producing their first drone for consumer use. Not to mention, their cameras are some the best for capturing aerial photos and videos using UAVs.
Follow GoPro: Twitter | Facebook
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Yuneec
Yuneec first started innovating in the aircraft industry before creating the first commercially successful ready-to-fly fixed wing RC airplane. Eventually, they transitioned into their increasingly popular aerial video quadcopters.
Follow Yuneec: Twitter | Facebook
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Sunlight Photonics
Formed in 2007, Sunlight Photonics develops solar airborne communications systems and services. They produce Sunfleets, which are clusters of solar UAVs with robust airframe designs, lightweight PV power, formation flight control software, and distributed communication payloads.
Follow Sunlight Photonics: CrunchBase
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Vires Aeronautics
Vires Aeronautics develops high-performance unmanned aerial vehicles that utilize Active Circulation Control (ACC) technology. Their flagship product, The Ora, is designed to support a plethora of mission objectives to accommodate demands for precision agriculture, water management, infrastructure monitoring, land mapping, pipeline tracking, disaster relief, and environmental protection. It’s the first commercially available drone that runs entirely on solar power.
Follow Vires Aeronautics: Twitter | Facebook
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SkyWorks Aerial Systems
SkyWorks Aerial Systems creates tools that simplify drone application development for millions of untapped developers. They produce customizable products that aim to “bring down the barrier to robotic technologies for everyone.” Check out Qua.R.K, a drone that uses Skyworks Aerial Systems’ unique POD (plug-n-operate) technology to deliver a variety of payload options for different commercial solutions.
Follow SkyWorks Aerial Systems: Twitter | Facebook
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Panoptes UAV
Panoptes created the eBumper, an add-on that detects obstacles near your drone and automatically “bumps” it away to avoid collision. Afterwards, control is returned to the pilot. Right now, the eBumper available for 4 drones: the DJI Phantom 2, Phantom 2 Vision, Phantom 2 Vision+ and the 3DR Iris+.
Follow Panoptes UAV: Twitter
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Flyability
Flyability is developing Gimball, the world’s first collision-tolerant flying robot capable of remaining stable after contact and safe to fly close to people. It is allowing, for the first time, safe and easy access to places out of reach of current drone systems. Flyability also won the 2015 UAE Drones for Good Award and the $1M prize!
Follow Flyability: Twitter | Facebook
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SkySpecs
SkySpecs created Guardian, a drone that avoids obstacles. Their patent-pending software also enables drones to fly, inspect infrastructure, and collect data autonomously.
Follow SkySpecs: Twitter | Facebook
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Hubsan
Hubsan manufactures some of the most popular consumer drones on the market. Their X4 series are excellent starter quadcopters and were featured in our list of cheap drones for beginners.
Follow Hubsan: Facebook
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Syma Toys
Syma Toys is a China-based company that manufacturers consumer drones, quadcopters, helicopters, and even an RC car/quadcopter hybrid.
Follow Syma Toys: Website
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Eachine
Eachine is an RC toys and hobbies company. They’re well-known for their H8 Mini quadcopter, and have recently come out with a ready-to-fly FPV racer.
Follow Eachine: Twitter | Facebook
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Cheerson
Cheerson is an extremely popular manufacturer. They developed the Cheerson CX-10, the smallest quadcopter to date and a top seller on Amazon.
Follow Cheerson: Twitter | Facebook
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Blade
Blade produces quadcopters and mini-drones for the consumer market. Many of their drones are great for beginners and offer people cheap ways to experience aerial photography.
Follow Blade: Facebook
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UDI
UDI creates larger sized quadcopters and multicopters for consumers. Many of their drones are less than $100 and feature cameras for aerial videography and photography.
Follow UDI: Website
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Ascending Technologies
Ascending Technologies is a UAS developer and manufacturer of technology for professional, civil & research UAV/drone use. Every one of their systems goes through various control procedures – such as indoor and outdoor test flights – for closest examination prior to ready-to-fly delivery.
Follow Ascending Technologies: Twitter
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Lily Robotics
Lily Robotics created the Lily Drone, a fully autonomous quadcopter that follows you as you perform any activity. It’s great for extreme sports, hikes, or simply taking still-frame portraits and panoramic videos.
Follow Lily Robotics: Twitter | Facebook
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Draganfly Innovations
Draganfly Innovations hand-makes their systems in North America. They produce drone systems that specialize in public safety applications, aerial photography, industrial inspection, and education/research.
Follow Draganfly Innovations: Twitter | Facebook
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UAV Solutions
UAV Solutions creates custom unmanned aerial vehicles for commercial and public sector needs. These unmanned systems are used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions as well as for experimentation purposes.
Follow UAV Solutions: Twitter | Facebook
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Action Drone USA
Action Drone USA produces portable industrial drones to help companies get jobs done safely and efficiently. They manufacture rigs that are specific to any commercial application and are easily compatible with third-party software.
Follow Action Drone USA: Twitter | Facebook
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AMIMON
AMIMON created CONNEX, a UAV add-on that allows professional drone users to outfit virtually any rig with long-range full-HD video transmission capabilities (with zero latency).
Follow AMIMON: Twitter | Facebook
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Fuerte Cases
Fuerte Cases manufactured the Microraptor line of high-quality carrying cases and backpacks for drones. These help you safely transport your rig and keep all of your components together in one place.
Follow Fuerte Cases: Twitter | Facebook
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Dedrone
Dedrone developed a piece of drone tracking technology. The DroneTracker uses multiple parameters, such as noise, shape, and movement patterns, to help guard against spying, smuggling, potential terrorist attacks and invasions of personal privacy.
Follow Dedrone: Twitter | Facebook
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Drone and UAV Software
SimScale
SimScale‘s mission is to “empower engineers, designers and scientists around the world to develop their products better, faster and more cost-efficiently.” They created drone simulation software to help DIY and manufacturers develop better drone systems.
Follow SimScale: Twitter | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Si