DJI, the Shenzhen-based Chinese drone company, has announced it will take a minority stake in high-end camera technology brand Hasselblad.
“We are honored to be partnering with DJI, the clear technology and market leader in its segment,” said Perry Oosting, Hasselblad’s CEO. Neither company has released the financial details of the deal.
“Hasselblad and DJI share a passion to provide creative people with cutting-edge, inventive technology to help them take visual storytelling to the next level,” said Frank Wang, DJI’s Founder and CEO. “With this partnership, we combine our strengths to further push the borders of what’s possible in imaging technology.”
DJI has been expanding rapidly into a series of drone and photography related projects. Recently the company revealed it had been working with Canonical on a powerful computer called the Manifold, especially designed for the DJI Onboard SDK. The computer equips drones with powerful data, image and mapping abilities.
Earlier this week the company unveiled a concept video detailing ideas for their upcoming drones including obstacle avoidance, free-flight object tracking and multi-angle shooting. While the ‘Phantom X’ is still a concept, it appears the company is seeking out the right partners to make the promised technology happen.
Hasselblad’s camera technology is high end, playing into DJI’s brand ambitions. “DJI and Hasselblad are equally enthusiastic about creativity and excellence, and we are looking forward to sharing technical expertise and paving the way for future innovations,” said the Swedish-based company’s CEO.
According to the joint release, the companies will continue to develop delineated brands. Hasselblad’s 75-year-long history includes supplying cameras for the Apollo missions and moon landing, however more recently they have focussed on more traditional cameras.
