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#72 Srdjan Kovacevic, Orqa: The evolution of drones, vertical integration, and competing with DJI

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Manage episode 451369559 series 3617746
Content provided by Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic, Jim Barry, Peter Shannon, and Luka Tomljenovic. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic, Jim Barry, Peter Shannon, and Luka Tomljenovic or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

In this episode, we’re excited to host Srdjan Kovacevic, CEO and co-founder of Orqa. Despite a low public profile, this Croatian team has made significant waves, initially through ultra-low latency FPV goggles for drone racing and now by building their own drones through a fully vertically integrated model. This strategy not only optimizes cost and performance but also positions Orqa as a strong Western alternative to DJI.
Srdjan discusses his view that hardware in the small drone industry is far from commoditized, emphasizing its critical role in achieving optimal performance. He traces this misconception to the early consumer drone market and examines DJI’s innovation-driven dominance. Our conversation explores the benefits and challenges of vertical integration versus system integration, with insights into its impact on ultra-low latency video links. We also delve into how market dynamics and geopolitical events like the war in Ukraine are shaping the drone industry, and Srdjan shares his thoughts on FPV systems, their modern warfare applications, and future drone technology developments.

  continue reading

Chapters

1. #72 Srdjan Kovacevic, Orqa: The evolution of drones, vertical integration, and competing with DJI (00:00:00)

2. Hardware will not be commoditized (00:06:02)

3. State of the drone industry and how we ended up in a polarized market (00:10:18)

4. DJI's vertical integration playbook (00:13:10)

5. Why vertical integration matters for small UAS (00:18:34)

6. Low-latency video as an example where vertical integration matters (00:21:02)

7. Why are there so few vertically-integrated drone companies? (00:29:32)

8. Demand drivers for ultra low latency video (00:35:20)

9. Impact of ultra-low video latency on managing autonomous systems (00:37:49)

10. Opportunity to displace DJI in the West (00:39:42)

11. War in Ukraine as a perfect storm for the small UAS industry (00:45:09)

12. Competitive dynamics across segments of the drone market (00:48:23)

13. Small UAS cost drivers (00:50:53)

14. The future of FPV drones (00:52:55)

15. What are FPV drones? (00:55:05)

16. Are FPV drones here to stay? (00:58:35)

17. Technology gaps in FPV drones (01:06:26)

96 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 451369559 series 3617746
Content provided by Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic, Jim Barry, Peter Shannon, and Luka Tomljenovic. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic, Jim Barry, Peter Shannon, and Luka Tomljenovic or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

In this episode, we’re excited to host Srdjan Kovacevic, CEO and co-founder of Orqa. Despite a low public profile, this Croatian team has made significant waves, initially through ultra-low latency FPV goggles for drone racing and now by building their own drones through a fully vertically integrated model. This strategy not only optimizes cost and performance but also positions Orqa as a strong Western alternative to DJI.
Srdjan discusses his view that hardware in the small drone industry is far from commoditized, emphasizing its critical role in achieving optimal performance. He traces this misconception to the early consumer drone market and examines DJI’s innovation-driven dominance. Our conversation explores the benefits and challenges of vertical integration versus system integration, with insights into its impact on ultra-low latency video links. We also delve into how market dynamics and geopolitical events like the war in Ukraine are shaping the drone industry, and Srdjan shares his thoughts on FPV systems, their modern warfare applications, and future drone technology developments.

  continue reading

Chapters

1. #72 Srdjan Kovacevic, Orqa: The evolution of drones, vertical integration, and competing with DJI (00:00:00)

2. Hardware will not be commoditized (00:06:02)

3. State of the drone industry and how we ended up in a polarized market (00:10:18)

4. DJI's vertical integration playbook (00:13:10)

5. Why vertical integration matters for small UAS (00:18:34)

6. Low-latency video as an example where vertical integration matters (00:21:02)

7. Why are there so few vertically-integrated drone companies? (00:29:32)

8. Demand drivers for ultra low latency video (00:35:20)

9. Impact of ultra-low video latency on managing autonomous systems (00:37:49)

10. Opportunity to displace DJI in the West (00:39:42)

11. War in Ukraine as a perfect storm for the small UAS industry (00:45:09)

12. Competitive dynamics across segments of the drone market (00:48:23)

13. Small UAS cost drivers (00:50:53)

14. The future of FPV drones (00:52:55)

15. What are FPV drones? (00:55:05)

16. Are FPV drones here to stay? (00:58:35)

17. Technology gaps in FPV drones (01:06:26)

96 episodes

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