Skydio closing consumer drone business

Skydio today announced that it will be shutting down its consumer drone business.

Beginning today, the firm will no longer be selling its Skydio 2+ Starter, Sports, Cinema or Pro kits, although it will continue to offer the Skydio 2+ Enterprise Kit to business customers. Skydio also promises to continue supporting those consumers who have already purchased a drone. That includes offering vehicle repairs and other support related to warranties. The company says it will also stock batteries, propellers and other accessories “for as long as we can.”

Skydio is closing up its consumer wing as it expands support for various enterprise offerings. The firm has established 1,500 clients that also include various public service applications.

Our drones are making the core industries that our civilization runs on – public safety, transportation, energy, construction, and defense – safer and more efficient,” founder Adam Bry writes in a post outlining the news. “And it’s becoming more and more clear every day that we need trusted, secure drones to meet these critical applications. The impact we’re having with our enterprise and public sector customers has become so compelling that it demands nothing less than our full focus and attention.”

The Bay Area-based Skydio has seen a massive boost, as drone giant DJI has landed on the wrong side of various government bans amid rising U.S./China tensions. It’s been a large driver in domestic security adoptions of its system. Government contracts are – understandably – an extremely enticing model than consumer sales. And besides, DJI continues to dominate that world.

Earlier this year, the company raised a $230 million Series E fundraising round.