Skydio

Skydio
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded2014; 10 years ago (2014)
FounderAdam Bry, Abe Bachrach and Matt Donahoe
Headquarters
San Mateo, California
,
United States
Key people
ProductsUnmanned aerial vehicles
RevenueUS $100 million[1] (2023)
Websitewww.skydio.com

Skydio is an American manufacturer of drones headquartered in San Mateo, California. The company manufactures drones for use in battlefield situation awareness, policing, and inspection. Their drones are designed for autonomous operation through the use of computer vision,[2] and can complete fully autonomous missions with the use of a dock to automatically recharge.[3]

As of November 2024, over 50% of Skydio’s business was with military customers, particularly the United States Department of Defense with up to 22,000 reported. The drones are also used by allies of the United States, including the UK Ministry of Defence, the Israel Defense Forces, the Indian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Navy and in Ukraine. Skydio drones were sold in the commercial market, where they held a 4% market share as of September 2021,[4] but in August 2023 Skydio announced they were exiting the consumer market.

Skydio drones can carry payloads, such as grenades,[5] but they have been criticized for failing to fly at the distances advertised, or to carry substantial payloads, compared to drones designed for the consumer market such as those manufactured by DJI in China.[6]

The drones integrate directly with the Android Team Awareness Kit, an Android application used by the US military and police.[7] Skydio also develops software applications for their drones. Subject tracking enables following enemy combatants or other subjects of interest.[8] A scouting application enables monitoring military convoys for threats from enemy soldiers.[9] The crosshair coordinates application enables 3D positioning of targets for scouting and weapons targeting purposes.[10] A 3D reconstruction application can also be purchased, which has been used to document war crimes in Ukraine during the Russian invasion,[6][11] as well as inspect ships for the Royal Canadian Navy.

  1. ^ O'Kane, Margaux MacColl, Sean (November 15, 2024). "Exclusive: Drone manufacturer Skydio raises $170 million extension round".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Asymmetric Advantages for the Free World: Skydio X10D and the Next Evolution of Human-Machine Teaming". 9 November 2023.
  3. ^ "This is the dock that lets Skydio drones truly fly themselves". 7 December 2022.
  4. ^ "How Has 2021 Changed the Drone Industry?". 14 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Modernizing the Fight from Above: Testing and Training on Critical Capability Using New Technology". 28 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b "How American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide in Ukraine". April 10, 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-04-17. Retrieved November 24, 2024. (subscription required)
  7. ^ "How to set up ATAK with the Skydio X10 Controller – Skydio".
  8. ^ "Skydio X10D". www.skydio.com.
  9. ^ "Improved Situational Awareness with Drones for Military and Law Enforcement". www.skydio.com.
  10. ^ "How to use Crosshair Coordinates (DTED) on Skydio X10 / X10D – Skydio".
  11. ^ "USAID Delivers Skydio Drones to Ukraine to Document War Crimes". www.skydio.com.