UPDATED 08:48 EDT / DECEMBER 30 2014

NEWS

Ghost Drone maker Ehang raises $10M following successful Indiegogo campaign

ghostdroneEhang Inc., the maker of the Ghost Drone, has raised $10 million Series A in a round led by GGV Capital that included PreAngel Partners, Xu Xiaoping and Nick Yang.

The first round for the China-based company follows the successful raising of $645,000 on Indiegogo, a campaign that at the time of writing is still open with 11 days remaining. Prior to the Indiegogo campaign Ehang raised RMB 317,000 ($52,000) on Chinese crowdfunding site Demohour back in May.

The drone is designed as an aerial photography drone, with a GoPro camera dock. Controlled using a mobile app, the pilot uses GPS and maps to operate the drone, which has a range of 1km (0.62 miles.) A small antenna connected to the phone via Bluetooth transmits commands giving it the extended range.

The key pitch of the Ghost Drone is ease of use, or what the company describes as the “world’s easiest drone to fly” and “perfect for first-timers and experienced pilots alike.”

The drone works out of the box with nothing to put together other than to attach a GoPro, with the mobile interface said to be so easy to use a five year-old could use it.

One nifty feature is an improved version of auto-follow, which allows users to film themselves, even if they are partaking in action sports. “Our auto-follow will continue to film you as you make turns and change direction, always keeping the camera on you,” the company claims.

The drone space is becoming highly competitive as the technology becomes more mainstream, but there’s definitely room for a player that offers a drone that children, or perhaps those of us without great navigational skills, can easily use. The mere fact that the Indiegogo campaign is currently 645 percent over subscribed would be proof evident of the proposition.

The company said the round will be used to grow the company from its current 17 employees, particularly to expand its marketing team, as well as to improve its software development kit and increase research and development.


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