Category Archives: Business News

A Million Commercial Drones to Fly in 2015

Paul-Lee-BroadcastBig Four firm Deloitte has predicted that more than a million commercial drones will take to the skies in 2015 as technological advances allow for further developments. Deloitte explained that with 700,000 commercial drones currently in use and more than 300,000 ordered globally for 2015, this year will see more than a million commercial drones.

Worldwide, total industry revenues are expected to reach between £125m and £250m, based on predictions of drones costing £125 or more.

Paul Lee, Deloitte’s head of technology, media, and telecommunications research, said that with average flight costs totalling £6 a trip, it was unlikely that the devices – also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – would be used for home deliveries. Continue reading →

EHANG Gets $10 Million Investment for Ghost UAS

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EHANG, makers of the Ghost Drone, announced the company has closed $10 million in Series A funding led by GGV Capital.  Angel investors in the round are Xiaoping Xu and Nick Yang, two of China’s most successful entrepreneurs. PreAngel, a fund focused on early stage startups, is also contributing to the round. EHANG will use this new round of funding to meet demand amassed from its Indiegogo campaign by expanding its team and ramping up manufacturing efforts. Continue reading →

Consumer UAS a $1B Global Sector by 2018

shawnduCESThe global market for drones will climb to at least $1 billion by 2018, according to the latest numbers from the Consumer Electronics Association.That’s up from a global market forecast of $130 million for 2015, up 50 percent, with sales of about 425,000 units. That’s according to a presentation by Shawn DuBravac, the CEA chief economist, during a wide-ranging briefing on the state of the electronics industry in advance of the International CES technology show. Continue reading →