Disclaimer: When it comes to market research for the commercial drone industry, we are unashamedly biased towards the good folks at the Drone Industry Insights (Droneii).
The Hamburg, Germany-based company has dedicated all its craft into gathering as much of all the important data about drone technology from all markets in the world as it can. And we say as much as it possibly can; because there are markets, like Africa, where data has not been easy to collate.
But the company continues to keep at it; and we are happy to update that Drone Industry Insights has gathered enough data on enough drone companies of the world to put them into an artificial intelligence platform which one can visit and look for drone services one needs.
In response to sourcing frustrations faced by many individuals and companies looking for drone services, DII has launched ASTRA Intelligence, a live, searchable matchmaking and intelligence platform designed to connect buyers, fleet operators, and suppliers across the global drone and mobile robotics ecosystem.
“(Astra Intelligence is) The global hub for mobile Autonomy, Security, Transportation, Robotics & Applications,” says Droneii.
“ASTRA Intelligence is the free B2B platform connecting explorers and suppliers across the drone, mobile robotics and autonomous systems supply chain.
“Explorers search a growing global directory by offering, application, industry and region; suppliers present verified profiles, products and references to qualified leads.”
As of now, the platform lists more than 1,500 companies and 6,500 products from 68 countries, spanning hardware, software and service providers for all things commercial drone technology, with free base listings and rankings based on how complete each service provider’s profile is.
ASTRA Intelligence went live on October 6, 2026.
The platform is available for use by all stakeholders - buyers, suppliers, investors and policy makers – who can use it to narrow a broad requirement to a shortlist of qualified matches and then contact the right people directly.
“ASTRA Intelligence is the most comprehensive human-to-human platform in the world of mobile robots,” said Kay Wackwitz, chief executive of Drone Industry Insights.
“The goal is to foster meaningful human connections, and ASTRA is built for exactly that. It has never been easier to find companies and products and to contact the right people directly.”
And yes, out of curiosity, we searched for service providers based in Africa; and received only 25 hits. Which for a continent that we know has about 18 Flying Labs and several drone services providers, is really low. South Africa alone has over 100 certified drone services providers.
But the platform is still new, so we expect the numbers to pick up as it gains popularity.
Droneii has built the platform to rank service providers according to the completeness of their profile; the complete and comprehensive a company’s profile is, the higher the ranking and better the chances of it appearing in searches.
It also has refined filters and relevance ranking to surface companies and products that meet a specific requirement across domains and sectors. In addition, there is a supply chain feature that maps company categories from components through integrated systems and services, helping users find suppliers at each stage, including for regional sourcing.
Users can also save companies and products to long and short lists, download those lists for internal evaluation and compare products side by side online. Meanwhile, a designated representative at each company manages its profile and decides which information to publish.
ASTRA draws on the same research base Droneii uses for its market analyses and the Drone Market Map. According to the DII Global Drone Industry Survey, client acquisition ranked as the second-biggest challenge for drone companies for the third consecutive year. Domestic politics and geopolitics, ranked third and eighth, are also pushing companies toward regional supply chains.
ASTRA – short for Automation, Safety, Transportation, Robotics and Applications – targets both issues by connecting supply and demand directly and making specialized suppliers easier to find. Unlike directories built on paid placement, it lists every company free of charge.
For companies, the base listing, including the company profile and its products and services, stays free permanently. Companies that register by December 31, 2026 receive an Early Adopter Plan with all features free until June 30, 2027.
After that, premium features such as testimonials, press releases and product videos will be offered by subscription starting January 1, 2027.