Sales revenue of DJI 2013-2017

In 2017, the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI generated a sales revenue of around 17.6 billion yuan. DJI is not a public company, however in its last fundraising round DJI was valued at 15 billion U.S. dollars in 2018. Current investors include Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital.

Becoming a public company

According to reports, DJI was expected to make an IPO in 2021 with a valuation of 24 billion U.S. dollars. An IPO would give the company access to more funds to facilitate further growth. DJI's dominant market position and distinct value proposition make it an interesting company for investors. Furthermore, reports state that DJI would list its shares on the Hong Kong Exchange, a popular destination for Chinese companies. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent crackdowns of Chinese financial regulators might impact the company's IPO plans.

A spanner in the works

Everything was going well for DJI until the trade war broke out. Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the American foreign policy towards China became more hawkish and Sino-U.S. trade relations turned sour. Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s policies included placing DJI on its entity list which shuts off access to American technology. Since DJI’s products rely on U.S. -made technology, this policy will impact the company’s further development.