Drone Pro is one of the few startups in Vietnam bold enough to tackle a highly complex technological challenge: urban air mobility. Founded in April 2019, the company began with a daring idea—to develop a cargo transportation platform using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), integrated with automation, to address traffic congestion in major cities.
The flagship product of Drone Pro is the Robot Drone Pro—an autonomous drone designed specifically for last-mile delivery to apartment complexes and high-rise buildings. Its breakthrough lies not merely in its ability to fly, but in its integration of automation technology to operate efficiently within the tight, crowded environments of urban areas. This product has been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), demonstrating a level of innovation and real-world application that meets international standards—something rarely seen among domestically developed UAV solutions. This milestone marks a critical turning point, giving Drone Pro the intellectual property foundation needed to protect and scale its product globally.
The company is a graduate of the Topica Founder Institute accelerator program, a respected launchpad for early-stage startups, and secured a $50,000 investment from Insignia Ventures Partners, a venture capital firm known for backing regional success stories such as Carro and Gojek. Additionally, Drone Pro was named in the Top 10 at TECHFEST 2019, won the Vietnam National Finals of the EWC (Entrepreneurship World Cup), and advanced to the global Top 100 finalists. These milestones not only validate the potential of the business model but also highlight growing interest from investors and the broader ecosystem in forward-looking technologies.
However, technology is only half the story. For a product like Robot Drone Pro to be truly adopted, Drone Pro must overcome a series of challenges: regulatory frameworks for autonomous urban flight, public trust in new technologies, supporting infrastructure for landing and battery charging, and the logistics model behind the scenes. Many of these hurdles are still being addressed, requiring the company to continuously innovate and even adapt its business model to align with market realities. The fact that Drone Pro remains operational, continues to expand its product, and maintains investor interest demonstrates its flexibility and long-term commitment to its chosen technology.
From Drone Pro‘s journey, several lessons can be drawn for tech startup founders. First, start with a real problem—one large enough to justify investment. Urban traffic, especially last-mile delivery, is a global challenge with growing demand. Second, both originality and feasibility matter. While the U.S. patent for Robot Drone Pro showcases technical innovation, its practical operability in dense urban environments is what captures investor interest. Finally, participation in accelerators and international competitions not only aids in fundraising but also helps startups validate and refine their products through real-world feedback from the ecosystem.
Drone Pro may not yet be the complete solution to aerial transportation, but it has clearly come a long way. In a market where most tech startups still revolve around SaaS, e-commerce, or fintech, the emergence of a company focused on autonomous UAVs brings a fresh perspective—and proves that futuristic technologies can indeed be developed in Vietnam, given the right vision and persistent execution.
