No. 3: Wang Tao, alias Frank Wang (DJI - Da Jiang Innovation)

Posté le 18 oct. 2018

Frank Wang is a perfect example of Chinese ambitions in tech. With an unparalleled sense of innovation, he has propelled the DJI drone manufacturer to the rank of global disruptor all the while ensuring his company a production capacity at lower cost and very competitive selling prices ($1,000 on average for a drone).

Year took up current function: 2006

Sector: Drones

Turnover in 2018: $5.4bn

Growth in 2018: 80%

This equation allowed him to steal a march on the France's Parrot drone led by Henri Seydoux, who was a pioneer in the sector, and to make a name for himself with his flagship product, the Phantom, equipped with a GoPro. Today, none can compete with this Chinese company, holder of 70% of the global recreational drone market. We know the founding story of DJI, born in the college dorm room of Frank Wang in 2006: it was with a down payment advanced by one of his professors that the future CEO started his company, a company that immediately gained extraordinary success, by betting on the B-to-C market. Since then, DJI has diversified by reaching out to professionals, especially in the agricultural sector. Despite some scandals (in 2017, the US military cautioned against a weakness in DJI devices, which could see them fall victim to cyberattack), the future continues to smile on the billionaire from Shenzhen. In the pipeline: the development of drones capable of operating in space, under water and for the military.