DF Robot
Open-source hardware and robotics components for education.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
| investor investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
$2.9m | Post IPO Equity | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
DFRobot, officially Shanghai Zhiwei Robotics Corp., is a robotics and open-source hardware provider founded in 2008 by CEO Ricky Ye (Chen Ye). The company emerged from a local maker community, becoming one of the first to champion open-source hardware in China. Its headquarters were established in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shanghai, in 2010, with a manufacturing plant opened in Chengdu in 2011. DFRobot has completed multiple funding rounds, including a Series B in January 2020.
The company's business model revolves around the design, manufacture, and sale of a wide range of user-friendly electronic modules, robotics platforms, and components. Its product catalog includes over 2,000 items such as sensors, single-board computers like LattePanda, communication modules, and 3D printers. These products are designed for compatibility with popular platforms like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and micro:bit. DFRobot serves a global market of over one million developers, makers, students, and teachers across more than 200 countries. Clients range from individual DIY hobbyists and educators to industrial sectors including automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer goods, for which it provides customized PCB assembly and manufacturing.
A significant portion of DFRobot's business, approximately 40% of its revenue, comes from the STEM education sector. Since 2013, the firm has developed comprehensive learning kits and resources, such as the Boson kit and micro:Maqueen series, to support K-12 education. The company fosters a strong user community through detailed online documentation, tutorials, a dedicated forum, and by organizing events like the Maker Carnival in Shanghai. In 2012, it established its own hackerspace, 'Mushroom Cloud,' which later received national recognition from China's Ministry of Science and Technology.
Keywords: open-source hardware, robotics, STEM education, electronic components, single-board computers, sensors, maker movement, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, educational kits, LattePanda, DIY electronics, prototyping, robotics platforms, programming education, hardware manufacturer, industrial solutions, community support, PCB assembly, IoT modules