Staging a drone light show with several hundred aircraft once required more than a dozen workers to place, check, and retrieve the drones individually, a process that could take hours. Shenzhen-based Damoda said its vehicle-mounted show system can now be deployed in about 60 seconds.
That focus on reducing on-site labor has helped Damoda build an equipment business spanning more than 50 countries and regions, ahead of a planned IPO filing in 2027. At a recent media briefing, the company said equipment sales accounted for about 70% of revenue, while its overseas business had grown to roughly 45 times its 2020 level by 2025.
Automating drone show setup
Putting thousands of drones in the air takes more than adding aircraft. Each needs a flight control system to remain stable, while the fleet requires precise positioning, navigation, synchronized communications, route planning, and coordinated scheduling. The system must manage each drone’s trajectory and maintain safe distances as formations change.
Early shows required workers to position every drone at a designated spot and check it before a coordinated takeoff. As fleets grew from hundreds to thousands, and eventually more than 10,000 aircraft, the work on the ground increased accordingly.
In 2022, Damoda introduced its third-generation V3 system, allowing drones to take off from and land in transport cases rather than being placed individually. Its fourth-generation V4 system added automatic charging and more precise autonomous returns to docking stations. While V3 relied on cameras to assist those returns, V4 no longer requires that assistance.
Damoda subsequently developed a vehicle-mounted show system around V4, integrating deployment, system checks and adjustments, takeoff, and retrieval into one platform. The company said the roughly 60-second setup reduces preparation time and makes the equipment easier to operate.
From flight control to overseas equipment sales
Damoda’s technical work began in 2015, when the team focused on flight control systems and individual drone stability. In 2016, it moved into coordinated flights, using 80 drones for a performance in Yudu, Jiangxi.
As fleet sizes increased, its engineering work shifted toward more complex swarm control. Early shows used lights to create flat patterns, while later performances introduced three-dimensional shapes and moving formations.
Those dynamic displays require drones to continuously adjust their positions while maintaining safe separation during transitions. Planning each aircraft’s trajectory and reducing collision risks became increasingly important.
Damoda developed a system encompassing flight control, swarm coordination, route planning, high-precision positioning, ground control stations, and show-design software. It also worked to make communications more resistant to interference and improve the system’s response to unexpected conditions.
The combination of airborne swarm control and automated ground operations gave Damoda a standardized system it could sell to customers rather than operate exclusively for its own shows.
The company began selling swarm systems overseas in 2020, starting with a customer in South Korea. Its international business developed around equipment sales and technical training, with local partners responsible for staging performances.
Damoda supplies customers with aircraft, swarm control software, automated deployment systems, and operational support. It also trains local teams in flight operations, system use, and show design. This model reduces the transport, staffing, and time costs of sending equipment and personnel across borders for individual projects.
One German customer bought about 800 drones in November 2025, followed by another 1,000 in early 2026 and 5,000 in the third quarter. The relationship has since expanded to European distribution and local technical services, according to Damoda.
In China, the company combines equipment sales with project operations. Drone shows have expanded beyond festivals into regular tourism performances and advertising.
Chongqing launched a regular drone show program on April 19, 2025. Its fleet grew from 2,000 to 5,000 drones, with scheduled performances supplemented by additional shows during holidays.
Damoda said the Chongqing projects attracted about 11 million in-person visits over the roughly one-year period covered at the briefing. Related content on official culture and tourism platforms generated about 11 billion impressions, it said.
Regular performances have also attracted advertisers. Changan Automobile, Tencent, and Mixue Bingcheng are among the brands that have used drone formations for advertising. Damoda now participates in regular show operations in Chongqing, Hong Kong, Yangzhou, and other locations.
Beyond choreographed flights
As its swarm systems mature, Damoda is exploring applications beyond entertainment. The company has about 300–320 employees, roughly 40% of whom work in R&D.
Damoda said it develops its flight control architecture and code, swarm control systems, and related software in-house. V4 uses domestically produced hardware and supports multiple satellite navigation systems, including BeiDou, GPS, and GLONASS. About 80% of its associated supply chain can be sourced in Shenzhen and surrounding areas, it said.
The company is also using artificial intelligence to accelerate show design. Alongside a creative team of more than 30 people, it has developed an AI-powered editor that generates drone display patterns from text instructions.
The editor currently handles relatively simple shows involving up to 1,000 drones, producing text, flat patterns, and some regular three-dimensional shapes. Generating a design takes between slightly more than ten minutes and just under half an hour, according to Damoda. Complex three-dimensional patterns, moving formations, and large commercial shows still require professional designers.
Damoda believes AI-generated choreography, combined with automated equipment, could make drone shows more accessible for private events such as birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. It is still exploring a business model for that market.
At a media briefing, Damoda also presented a second business line for the first time: AI-powered drone swarms capable of navigating and performing tasks autonomously at low altitudes.
The company plans to develop environmental sensing, autonomous navigation, path planning, obstacle avoidance, and coordination among multiple drones operating in complex environments.
These applications present a different challenge from conventional drone shows, which typically take place at sites surveyed in advance, with aircraft following predetermined routes. In environments without reliable GPS signals, or in dim, narrow, and enclosed spaces, drones must assess their surroundings in real time, adjust their flight paths, and carry out assigned tasks.
Damoda sees its flight control and swarm coordination technology, along with its operational experience, as a foundation for the new business. However, navigation in complex environments, autonomous decision-making, and onboard sensor integration still require further development.
The company plans to demonstrate the technology in late 2026 or early 2027.
Damoda said it completed several funding rounds in 2026, attracting investment from firms backed by China’s centrally administered and other state-owned enterprises. Its valuation has risen nearly tenfold since its Series A round, according to the company, which plans to file for an IPO in 2027.
It is also seeking another funding round before the end of 2026 and is in discussions with financial and strategic investors.
KrASIA features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Peng Xiaoqiu for 36Kr.