Chinese low-altitude infrastructure company i-Kingtec has raised 500 million yuan (approximately US$69 million) in a Series D funding round. The funding was led by Liangxi Sci-Tech Innovation Fund, managed by Broad Vision Funds.

The company plans to use the funds for new product development, mass production, and expanding its deployments. i-Kingtec is working to automate the assembly of its industrial drones and drone airports within 15 minutes. It is also scaling its AI training system, Wukong Brain, which supports autonomous drone operations.

Founded in 2017 by Chen Fangping during his PhD studies at Peking University, i-Kingtec integrates AI with low-altitude technology for applications in sectors such as power, emergency response, and smart cities. The company holds over 600 patents and has participated in national and global AI and drone standardization efforts.

i-Kingtec has commercialized industrial drones alongside automated airports and has secured contracts worth hundreds of millions of yuan, according to company reports.

🔗 Source: 36Kr

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ China’s drone industry accelerates amid global market expansion

i-Kingtec’s $69 million funding round reflects China’s broader push to become a global drone technology leader, following years of strategic investment in the sector.

China has been rapidly developing its drone capabilities, establishing dedicated research centers and expanding both military and commercial applications since the early 2010s 1.

The global drone market is projected to reach $42.8 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 13.8%, creating significant opportunities for specialized players like i-Kingtec 2.

Unlike many competitors focusing primarily on hardware, i-Kingtec’s integrated approach combining drones, automated airports, and AI aligns with industry trends where companies are merging capabilities to offer more complete solutions 3.

The company’s 600+ patents and national “little giant” status demonstrate how China is emphasizing intellectual property development in strategic technologies rather than just manufacturing capability.

2️⃣ Low-altitude infrastructure emerges as critical missing piece in drone ecosystem

i-Kingtec’s focus on low-altitude infrastructure addresses a growing challenge as airspace becomes more congested with various unmanned aerial vehicles.

Recent incidents like the New Jersey drone panic have highlighted critical gaps in monitoring low-altitude airspace, creating both safety concerns and business opportunities for companies developing comprehensive solutions 4.

The FAA and similar agencies worldwide are implementing new requirements like Remote ID and enhanced electronic conspicuity, creating market demand for companies that can provide the infrastructure to support these mandates 4.

i-Kingtec’s automated “Baoliandeng” airports represent the physical infrastructure component needed for scale deployment of industrial drones, complementing the digital traffic management systems being developed for crowded airspaces 3.

The convergence of AI and low-altitude flight technology is transforming multiple sectors including logistics, urban air mobility, and emergency response, explaining why i-Kingtec targets power, emergency, smart cities, and forestry applications 5.

3️⃣ Production automation signals maturing drone industry economics

i-Kingtec’s “machines building machines” strategy and 15-minute automated assembly goal highlight how the drone industry is evolving from custom manufacturing to standardized mass production.

Cost considerations are increasingly important as the industry grows. Earlier Chinese drone developments were partly motivated by financial efficiency – a military drone costs approximately $10.5 million compared to $150 million for a fighter jet 1.

The focus on automation reflects broader industry efforts to address drone production economics, as companies compete in a consolidating market where DJI already holds a dominant 74.3% share 2.

Modular designs becoming standard across the industry enable easier upgrades and adaptability for various missions, a principle i-Kingtec appears to be incorporating in its standardized production approach 2.

This manufacturing evolution parallels other technology sectors that transitioned from custom to automated production as they matured, suggesting the drone industry is entering a new phase of industrial development and scale.