Freefly Systems

Overview

IndustryHardware & ManufacturingNo. of Employees55
Country of OriginUSAFunding
Countries of OperationsCanada, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Australia,and moreRevenue
Founded2011Valuation
Age12 YearsFollowers406.8K Followers

Summary

Freefly Systems is an American company that designs, manufactures, and markets camera movement systems and camera stabilizers used in cinematography. The company offers various products, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial cinematography, gimbals, and remote controlled vehicles. Some of its flagship products are Alta X, a large and powerful drone that can carry heavy payloads; Mōvi Pro, a lightweight and portable camera stabilizer; Wave, a high-speed camera that can record at 5K 600fps or 4K 800fps. 

Freefly Systems also provides training, support, and integration services for its customers. The company’s products are used by filmmakers, broadcasters, industrial operators, and hobbyists in various industries and applications.

Industry

Freefly Systems predominantly services the Film, Media, and Entertainment industry, however we will categorize them as Hardware & Manufacturing as they are able to be compared based on their development and intellectual property rather than the use cases of that IP. 

Country of Origin

Freefly Systems was founded and has its headquarters in Woodinville, Washington, USA.

Country of Operations

It operates mainly in the USA, where it has its headquarters and a manufacturing facility. The company also has a global network of dealers and distributors that sell its products in various countries around the world. Some of these countries are Canada, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, South Africa, and more.

Age

It was founded in 2011 and has been in operation for 12 years.

Size

Freefly Systems has approximately 55 employees at the time of writing this article. The company has maintained a nice hold on the market whilst keeping its overheads and staff costs low.

Founders of Freefly Systems

Tabb Firchau 

He is the co-founder and president of Freefly Systems. He is focused on building a team that thrives at the intersection of art and technology. He has a background in cinematography and robotics, & he is passionate about developing innovative products for camera movement. He is also an angel investor & a mentor for other founders.

He is available on LinkedIn.

David Bloomfield 

He is the co-founder and CEO of the gimbal business unit at Freefly Systems. He is responsible for leading the development and production of the MōVI stabilized camera gimbal, which revolutionized camera stabilization in the film industry. 

He is available on LinkedIn.

Hugh Bell 

He is the co-founder and creative director of Freefly Systems. He oversees the branding, marketing, and content creation for the company. He is also a filmmaker and a photographer, who uses the products he helps create to capture stunning visuals.

He is available on LinkedIn.

Megan Fogel 

She is the co-founder of Freefly Systems. She manages the human resources, culture, and operations of the company. She is also involved in product development, customer service, and sales.

Competitive Edge

  • It has a loyal and satisfied customer base that includes some of the world’s leading filmmakers, such as James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Michael Bay, and more.
  • It has a strong reputation and brand recognition in the film industry, as well as other sectors that use its products.

Aircraft

Freefly Systems manufactures two types of drones: Alta X and Astro.

Alta X is a large, powerful and versatile drone that can carry payloads up to 35 lbs (15.8 kg) and fly for up to 50 minutes. It can be used for cinematography, industrial inspection, mapping, surveying and more. It features a folding design, swappable payloads, advanced flight control system, GPS positioning, obstacle avoidance and more.

Astro is a commercial drone platform that features RTK (Real Time Kinematic) positioning, 61 megapixel Sony camera, LTE cloud connectivity, autonomous flight modes, obstacle avoidance and more. It can be used for mapping, inspection, surveying, agriculture and more.

Technology

  • Apart from Drone, the company has a technological edge in camera movement systems and camera stabilizers. Some of them are:

    Mōvi series of camera stabilizers that can be handheld or mounted on drones, vehicles or other platforms. They feature 3-axis or 5-axis stabilization, wireless control, app integration, modular design and more.
  • Ember high-speed camera that can record up to 800 fps at 4K resolution or 600 fps at 5K resolution. It features an app-based workflow, ProRes codec, compact size and lightweight design.
  • SL series of batteries that are powerful, smart, open, adaptable, efficient and reliable. They feature high energy density, intelligent management system, modular design and compatibility with various devices.
  • FRX Pro long-range wireless control system for Mōvi that features high bandwidth, low latency, encrypted communication, ergonomic design and more.

Social Stats (Social Media Numbers)

Facebook – 105K Followers

Instagram – 230K Followers

Twitter – 26.2K Followers

LinkedIn – 11.5K Followers

YouTube – 34.1K Followers

But wait, there’s more!

FreeFly is only one of the major players in this evolving industry. Click here to check out our full list of companies leading the way!

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