Autel Robotics
Chinese drone maker competing with DJI in consumer and commercial markets.
Autel Robotics is a Chinese consumer and commercial aerial drone manufacturer founded in 2014 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China. It is notable for being a former subsidiary of Autel Intelligent Technology, spun off before AIT's 2020 IPO, and for holding a 7% share of the UAV market in the United States in 2021, with its market share increasing after rival DJI was restricted by the US government.
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Shenzhen, China
- Founders
- Maxwell Lee and Li Hongjing
- Us market share 2021
- 7%
- Former parent
- Autel Intelligent Technology (AIT)
- Spin off year
- 2020
Lore & Background
Autel Robotics Co., Ltd. was founded in 2014 in Shenzhen by Maxwell Lee, a Chinese American entrepreneur, and Li Hongjing. The company has received government funding and support from the Chinese government. Its first drone, the X-Star, was released in 2015 in global markets, followed by notable product lines including the Evo and Dragon Fish series. In 2021, Autel Robotics held a 7% share of the UAV market in the United States, and its market share increased after leading rival DJI, also based in China, was restricted by the US government. Along with DJI, Autel's drones have been widely acquired by US law enforcement and government agencies, with concerns raised about potential risks, though significant evidence of risk has not been presented and the concerns have been criticized. In 2023 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Autel Robotics made its intention to surpass DJI in both technology and market share known. That same year, Autel threatened to sue a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute for defamation over an op-ed in Defense News that labeled their products a national security risk. In 2025, an investigation by Yuval Abraham of +972 Magazine revealed that during the Gaza War, EVO series drones made by Autel were used by the Israeli army to attack unarmed civilians, including elderly and children, using a grenade-dropping attachment known internally as 'Iron Ball'. Many drones were purchased independently by soldiers via crowdfunding or donated by the US army. Autel responded that the attacks were carried out 'without our knowledge, authorization, or consent.'
Reader's Guide
Autel Robotics is significant as a major Chinese competitor to DJI in the consumer and commercial drone market, particularly after US government restrictions on DJI boosted Autel's US market share to 7% by 2021. The company's products, including the EVO and Dragonfish series, have been adopted by US law enforcement and government agencies, sparking ongoing debate about national security risks—though the article notes that significant evidence of risk has not been presented and the concerns have been criticized. Autel's aggressive stance is illustrated by its 2023 threat to sue a researcher for defamation over a national security op-ed. The company's legacy is complicated by the 2025 investigation revealing that its EVO drones were used by the Israeli army in the Gaza War to attack unarmed civilians with a grenade-dropping attachment, a use Autel disavowed. This incident highlights the challenges drone manufacturers face in controlling end-user applications. Autel's history as a spin-off from Autel Intelligent Technology and its global offices in China, Italy, the US, Germany, and Singapore underscore its international reach. The company's stated ambition to surpass DJI in technology and market share, announced at CES 2023, frames its ongoing rivalry in the UAV industry.
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