Prodrone
About
About Prodrone
Prodrone designs airframes, autonomous controls and payload integrations at its Nagoya engineering and manufacturing operation. PD6B-Type3 is the current configurable multirotor for cargo, surveying and sensing, while the product catalogue also covers longer-range helicopter-style aircraft and ground-control equipment. Customer work can include airframe modification, communications and mission software.
The PD6B platform is used in daily delivery operations in Ina, Nagano, and is offered with swappable cargo, camera and lidar modules. Prodrone’s 2026 activity also includes edge-AI and vision-language-action development with Samurai Tech and an indigenous interceptor-drone collaboration with Toshiba. Those are development programmes, so they remain distinct from the company’s commercially available industrial aircraft and do not imply a fielded defence product.
Articles
Products
- PD6B-Type3
PD6B
Deployments
- Operating use
2020-11-30 - PD6B-Type3 completed a 14 km Level 3 over-water delivery demonstration between Kowa Port and Shinojima. - one named demonstration route - Kowa Port–Shinojima route
Source
Funding
- 2026-09-02 - Strategic investment - Prodrone raises capital from PERSOL VENTURE PARTNERS
Prodrone completed a third-party share allotment to PERSOL VENTURE PARTNERS to strengthen hiring and establish domestic drone mass production. - source: prodrone.com
- 2026-07-31 - Strategic equity placement - Prodrone completes undisclosed DBJ equity placement
Prodrone completed an undisclosed third-party equity placement with the Development Bank of Japan to advance drone technology and accelerate construction of domestic mass-production capacity. - source: prodrone.com
Investors
- Development Bank of Japan - Lead - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-07-31
- PERSOL VENTURE PARTNERS - Lead - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-09-02
Timeline
Events
- 2026-09-07 - Facility Opening - Prodrone establishes first mass-production plant at Howa Machinery
The parties are using Howa’s existing Aichi facilities to accelerate the production build-out. Prodrone and Howa were already collaborating on countermeasure-drone development. The plant supports demand across inspection, logistics and disaster-prevention applications.
Source - 2026-09-02 - Funding - Prodrone raises capital from PERSOL VENTURE PARTNERS
The investment is tied to recruitment and development of specialist personnel. Prodrone is building a mass-production system for domestically produced drones. The source did not disclose the investment amount, so no numeric round value is stored.
Source - 2026-09-02 - Production Milestone - Prodrone receives METI approval for domestic drone production plan
The approved plan carries a maximum subsidy of ¥1.5 billion. Prodrone targets annual production and supply capacity of 58,000 units by March 2029. The program covers new production lines and a domestic supply chain for key components.
Source - 2026-08-30 - Market Signal - JICN approves JPY300 million support for Prodrone
JICN approved JPY300 million of support for Prodrone’s financing on August 30, 2026. Prodrone develops and manufactures industrial UAVs and control software, including the GT-M, PRODRONE RESCUE and PD6B-series aircraft. The company plans to strengthen mass production and sales, expand internationally and add personnel as it builds the business.
Source - 2026-07-31 - Funding - Prodrone completes undisclosed DBJ equity placement
The Development Bank of Japan subscribed through a third-party allotment; Prodrone did not disclose the amount or a named financing round. Prodrone will use the capital to improve its drone technology and accelerate a domestic mass-production system built around the Chubu regional ecosystem. The financing is separate from Prodrone's June 2026 JIC Venture Growth Investments raise and its April 2026 Central Japan Innovation Capital placement.
Source - 2026-07-31 - Partnership - Prodrone and Toshiba begin indigenous interceptor-drone development
Prodrone will contribute airframe design, autonomous flight control, vehicle control and UAV production experience. Toshiba will contribute radar, air-defence, command-and-control, quality-assurance, regulatory and systems-integration expertise.
Source - 2020-11-30 - Deployment - Prodrone PD6B-Type3 completes 14 km Level 3 island-delivery trial
The route crossed the sea from Kowa Port to Shinojima and was flown under Japan’s Level 3 framework. The scenario followed online medical consultation and prescription guidance, then modelled delivery of medicines and other supplies to the island. KDDI mobile communications supported remote flight monitoring and control for the demonstration.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- Toshiba
Interceptor Drone Development Partner - Prodrone and Toshiba are developing a Japanese interceptor drone combining Prodrone aircraft with Toshiba defence systems.
Context
Market context
PD6B-Type3 and Prodrone GT-M