(Lee Ho-joon)
As Chinese-made drones rapidly dominate the global market, South Korean drone company Argosdyne is gaining traction overseas by commercializing a broad portion of the drone supply chain — from manufacturing and autonomous flight systems to charging infrastructure and control software.
“We are seeing Korean drones increasingly recognized as viable alternatives as restrictions on Chinese drones expand globally,” said Jeong Seung-ho, chief executive of Argosdyne. “Exports have grown sharply since last year, particularly in Europe and Asia.”
The company’s core strength lies in offering an integrated package that combines on-device artificial intelligence-powered autonomous drones, automated charging stations and fleet control software.
Unlike drones that rely heavily on cloud servers or remote communications, Argosdyne’s drones use onboard AI chips to analyze data and make flight decisions in real time.
Its flagship model, AQUILA-2, can carry payloads of up to 3 kilograms and withstand winds of up to 15 meters per second. The company’s automated charging station, CUNA 2.0, allows drones to remain deployed outdoors around the clock with fully autonomous charging and storage capabilities.
In South Korea, the company is working with major defense contractors to integrate unmanned drone operation technologies into armored vehicles and other existing weapons systems. The Korean National Police Agency is also using the company’s drones for missing-person searches, crime prevention and emergency response operations.
Argosdyne has been expanding across Asia through partnerships with local companies in India and Vietnam, while orders have continued to grow in European markets including Germany, Denmark and France.
In March, the company participated in XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in Germany, one of Europe’s largest exhibitions for autonomous mobility and defense technologies, as part of efforts to strengthen its presence in the European market.
Jeong said the company plans to establish a European subsidiary this year to localize both its products and operating software while building long-term partnerships with regional drone firms across Asia.
Global restrictions targeting Chinese drones have created favorable conditions for Argosdyne’s expansion. Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense designated Chinese-made drones as national security threats and banned their use, while the U.S. Commerce Department imposed broad restrictions on drone imports from China.
Argosdyne posted revenue of 4.6 billion won ($3.2 million) last year and is currently expanding its organizational and business structure ahead of a planned initial public offering in 2028.
Jeong, who graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics, previously worked on IT-based global business partnerships at Humax and Naver before founding the company in 2018 after Amazon unveiled its Prime Air drone delivery service.
“We expect export sales alone to exceed 5 billion won this year,” Jeong said. “Our goal is to establish ourselves globally as an industrial drone company focused on surveying and infrastructure inspection.”
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