Navigating Malaysia’s drone tech landscape – The Executive Brief

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Hello reader,

Becoming a unicorn startup isn’t as rare an occurrence as it used to be. According to Wikipedia, when the term was first coined in 2013, there were only 39 companies that could claim the title. Now, it seems like a new unicorn pops up everywhere I turn. Building a billion-dollar company is an awesome achievement and a testament to how the tech and startup scene has grown globally.

As such, every startup ecosystem wants a few of these startups to call their own – and Malaysia is no exception. The country is looking to have five unicorns in its stables come 2025, and one of the likely candidates is drone tech startup Aerodyne. It’s certainly a prized jewel in Malaysia’s startup crown, but it’s also operating in an exciting space that’s starting to heat up.

Today we look at:

• Aerodyne’s road to success and where it stands in Malaysia’s drone tech scene
• A startup that wants to tackle the problem of obesity in Indonesia
• Other newsy highlights such as ShopBack’s new managing director and this quick commerce firm’s latest fundraise

Premium summary

Reach for the skies

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Malaysia has been looking for its next unicorn, and at the top of the list of potentials sits drone tech startup Aerodyne. According to market research firm Drone Industry Insights, Aerodyne is the no. 1 drone service provider in the world and has closed several funding rounds, drawing in a roster of multinational institutional investors.

• Meeting a need: Founded in 2016, Aerodyne started as a business unit of a company that founder Kamarul A. Muhamed previously launched. While the unit was focused on capturing visuals using drones, Kamarul saw a bigger opportunity: offering drone services to take on high-risk jobs. The firm soon added data analytics to its services and now bills itself as a DT3 company, offering drone tech, data tech, and digital transformation services across different industries such as agriculture and security.

• Right time, right place: According to a Kuala Lumpur-based investment banker, Aerodyne had a recipe for success: It entered the market at the right time, made money as its initial business verticals were profitable, and has maintained that growth thanks to an ecosystem that has supported it.

• It’s getting hot in here: But competition is heating up in Malaysia’s drone tech space, with several other firms grappling for a slice of the pie. Still, Aerodyne is on the up and has plans to list on the public markets in the next few years.

Read more: Aerodyne: Can it remain Malaysia’s drone jewel?

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