It’s hard to overstate how much the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everything. For us, the past few months have been some of the most challenging we’ve ever faced.
Since 2011, we’ve worked tirelessly to make advanced drone technology small, accessible, and fun. We’ve launched three successful Micro Drone models, and in 2016 were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Innovation — recognition of what a small, dedicated team can achieve through creativity and engineering.
That same year, we launched Micro Drone 3.0 on Indiegogo. Over 18,000 backers supported the campaign, raising $3.5 million - we shipped it, people loved it and the response was incredible - Drone Magazine called it the Best Drone for Beginners, and it built a passionate global community around consumer Drones.
When we began developing Micro Drone 4.0, our vision was to take that success to the next level, adding a stabilised HD camera, AI tracking, modular design, and improved flight performance. Everything was coming together beautifully. We were gearing up for production, working closely with our partners in China, and then suddenly, the world stopped.
The COVID-19 outbreak has been catastrophic for our supply chain. Factories have been closed for months. Component suppliers we relied on for years have shut down or can’t guarantee delivery. Freight routes are severely restricted, and even simple shipments of samples from Shenzhen to UK are taking weeks to arrive.
We’ve spent years building these relationships, and in a matter of weeks, they’ve been upended. Every part, from the flight board to camera module has been affected in some way.
We know how much our backers have been looking forward to the release of the 4.0 Drones - and we share that feeling completely. It represents years of work, development, and collective effort.
We want to be transparent: this situation will cause significant delays. But we’re not giving up. We are working daily to rebuild our supply chain, help suppliers get back up and running, and try to adapt to a world that’s changing week by week.
It’s not going to be easy but we will get the Micro Drone 4.0 project back on track.
The support from our community has been incredible. Every message, comment, and note of encouragement means a lot to our small team. We remain committed to delivering a drone that build on everything we’ve learned since 2011 we will keep you updated as the situation evolves.
Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.
Stay safe,
Vernon and the Micro Drone Team
Founder, Extreme Fliers
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