Prodrone
Japanese professional drone maker founded Jan 2015 in Nagoya; heavy-lift UAVs including PD-6B (30 kg payload) for inspection, logistics, and defense.
Prodrone Co., Ltd. is a Japanese professional drone manufacturer founded on 15 January 2015 and headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The company was established as a dedicated drone division spun out from System Five, a broadcast and professional-video systems integrator, to address the rapidly expanding industrial UAV market. Co-founder and CTO Kiyokazu Sugaki brings more than 40 years of RC helicopter engineering experience to the company's development programme.
Prodrone's product line centres on multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles designed for demanding professional and industrial applications. Its flagship platform, the PD-6B, is a six-rotor heavy-lift drone capable of carrying a maximum payload of 30 kg — one of the highest payload capacities available in its class — and is used in industrial operations, infrastructure inspection, film and television production, and cargo transport. The PD-6B-TYPE2 features an integrated geofence system and the Prodrone Safety Unit (PSU) for enhanced operational safety compliance. The all-weather PD-6B-AW variant adds water resistance for operation in rain and harsh environments. The lighter PD-6-AW carries up to 5 kg, operates at altitudes up to 5,000 m, and reaches speeds of 76 km/h. In June 2026 Prodrone debuted the PD4B-MS, the first model under its new SAMURAI TECH brand, assembled entirely from domestically sourced Japanese components; it tolerates winds up to 12 m/s and temperatures from -20 degrees C to +40 degrees C.
Beyond airframes, Prodrone offers the PD-GCS ground control station and develops specialised mission payloads. The company's solutions serve inspection (bridges, tunnels, power lines), logistics, surveying, disaster response, and defense applications. In 2025 Prodrone was selected by UNIDO for a Japanese government-funded project to deploy landmine-detection drones in Ukraine, involving AI-enhanced metal detection and satellite-based wireless communication.
Prodrone raised a Series A round of approximately one billion yen in March 2017 from investors including Mitsubishi Corporation, KDDI Corporation, Canon Marketing Japan, SHO-BOND Corporation, and AISAN Technology, among 23 total investors. The company employs approximately 60 people as of 2025.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
PD-6B
Six-rotor heavy-lift professional drone with 30 kg maximum payload for industrial, inspection, and cargo applications.
PD4B-MS (SAMURAI TECH)
All-Japanese industrial drone debuted June 2026; tolerates winds to 12 m/s and -20 to +40 degrees C; assembled from domestic Japanese components.
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Contact Prodrone
WEBSITE
https://www.prodrone.comPHONE
+81 52-950-1278HEADQUARTERS
Japan
Company Facts
Founded
2015
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Asia-Pacific
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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