Malaysia-based dronetech firm Aonic is eyeing Indonesia and the Phillippines markets where demand for automation grows rapidly, its Founder said.

“We are looking closely at Indonesia and the Philippines – two markets where the demand for automation in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and energy is growing rapidly,” Aonic CEO and Founder Cheong Jin Xi told TNGlobal in an interview.

“Both [countries] have large-scale industries that are still heavily reliant on manual operations, and we see a real opportunity to bring in drones, machine control, and AI-powered automation in a way that’s accessible, sustainable, and impactful,” he said.

“We are also exploring opportunities in Vietnam, especially in agriculture and logistics, where the government has shown strong interest in smart farming and digital transformation initiatives,” he added.

Aonic is a Malaysian drone service provider across Southeast Asia, with a strong presence in Malaysia and Thailand.

Founded by a team of engineers, Aonic is an all-in-onedrone solutions provider for enterprises that are looking to modernise and streamline their operations workflow. Aonic said it combines in-house development of proprietary drones with partnerships with top-tier manufacturers like DJI Enterprise.

As a Platinum Tier DJI Enterprise Dealer, Aonic serves end customers directly, securing upfront payments and achieving attractive margins.The company has achieved significant milestones, including raising Malaysia’s largest seed round with backing from Wavemaker Partners.

Aonic is expanding its reach across the region by launching Aonic Service Centers, which make drone technology more accessible to agricultural and industrial businesses.

Aonic operates across six verticals—agriculture, industrial, lifestyle, retail, services, and academy. Each of these plays a different role in how the company drives automation adoption.

“But in 2025, we see the strongest potential in agriculture, industrial, and services,” Cheong said.

Aonic’s revenue exceeded MYR100 million ($23.27 million) and hit profitability in 2023, according to him.

“At this stage, we are not disclosing specific financial figures apart from the fact that our annual revenues have exceeded MYR100 million in 2023 with double digits annual growth and in a net profitable position,” he said.

In the interview, he also shared other plans Aonic has for the rest of the year. Cheong also shared his views on Malaysia’s ambition to become a dronetech hub, among others.

Below are the edited excerpts:

What are the plans for Aonic in 2025? Any expansion plans since the company is in 33 locations? Any particular market are you looking at and why?

In 2025, Aonic is focused on two key priorities: scaling industrial automation across Southeast Asia, and deepening localisation to meet the operational needs of each market we serve.

We’ve already established a strong presence with over 30 locations across the region, and that network has been critical to how we deliver tech, not just through product, but through on-ground service, training, and integration support.

This year, our aim is to expand that presence in a more strategic and vertical-specific way.

We’re looking closely at Indonesia and the Philippines – two markets where the demand for automation in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and energy is growing rapidly.

Both have large-scale industries that are still heavily reliant on manual operations, and we see a real opportunity to bring in drones, machine control, and AI- powered automation in a way that’s accessible, sustainable, and impactful.

We’re also exploring opportunities in Vietnam, especially in agriculture and logistics, where the government has shown strong interest in smart farming and digital transformation initiatives.

At the same time, we’re investing in infrastructure and support systems, scaling our Aonic Flex financing program, opening more Aonic Service Centers, and expanding our training capabilities through Drone Academy Asia.

These are critical enablers that help us ensure automation is not only adopted but used effectively.

Ultimately, our goal for 2025 is to transform automation from a technical solution into a practical, scalable ecosystem, especially in markets where the barriers have traditionally been too high. We are not just expanding footprint – we are expanding value.

Aonic is in six business verticals. Which verticals do you see having more potential and opportunities? What is your priority?

Aonic operates across six verticals—agriculture, industrial, lifestyle, retail, services, and academy. Each of these plays a different role in how we drive automation adoption.

But in 2025, we see the strongest potential in agriculture, industrial, and services.

Agriculture continues to be a high-impact sector for us, especially among smallholder farmers who face rising labour costs, climate-related challenges, and increasing pressure to improve yield efficiency. Drone adoption for tasks like spraying, seeding, and mapping has accelerated, especially through our Aonic Flex financing program, which makes automation financially viable even for smaller operators.

In the industrial vertical, we’re seeing growing demand for machine control solutions, particularly in construction and infrastructure. Our partnership with CHCNAV allows us to deliver AI-powered automation for earthworks, road construction, and site levelling; areas where accuracy, efficiency, and speed directly translate to cost savings and better project outcomes.

The services vertical, which includes public safety, surveillance, and inspections, is another growth area—driven by technologies like the DJI Matrice 4 Series. These are high-stakes applications where autonomous drone operations can enhance response times, safety, and situational awareness, especially in sectors like energy, telecommunications, and emergency response.

Our priority right now is to double down on these verticals where market demand is rising and our solutions are gaining real world traction. But we’re also committed to enabling that growth through our academy vertical, supported by our Drone Academy Asia to equip operators and businesses with the skills to fully leverage these technologies.

Ultimately, our goal is not to push automation where it’s not needed but to scale it where it can create the most value, the fastest.

Aonic has raised a total funding of $4.29 million over two rounds. Its first funding round was on Oct 26, 2021. Its latest funding round was a Series A round on Nov 06, 2024. When do you need to raise funds again? Any time soon and how much?

At this stage, we are focused on executing our plans and building on the momentum we have gained across the region. The support from our investors has positioned us well to scale sustainably, and we’re currently leveraging that to deepen our market presence and expand our automation ecosystem.

We are always open to strategic conversations with partners who align with our long-term
vision, but any future funding decisions will be guided by growth opportunities and market readiness, rather than immediate need. Right now, our priority is delivery, impact, and making automation practical and scalable across Southeast Asia.

Automation is rapidly transforming various industries. Could you share your vision for the future of automation in Malaysia, particularly within the drone and machine control sectors?

Malaysia is entering a new phase of industrial transformation, and automation will be central to how businesses evolve — particularly in sectors like agriculture, construction, infrastructure, and public safety. At Aonic, our vision is to enable that transformation through an ecosystem that combines cutting-edge technology, localised training, on-ground support, and accessible financing.

In the drone space, we’ve seen real momentum in agriculture especially through our Aonic Flex financing programme, which has helped smallholder farmers adopt drone technology without high upfront costs. But the applications go far beyond that.

We are seeing increasing demand for AI-powered surveillance, infrastructure inspections, and public safety deployments, particularly with the DJI Matrice 4 Series, which we offer as a DJI Enterprise Platinum Dealer. These platforms bring thermal imaging, multi-sensor integration, and autonomous flight capabilities to real-world scenarios.
On the machine control side, our partnership with CHCNAV is helping us introduce AI-driven automation for earthworks, road construction, and site levelling.

This technology is transforming how local construction companies approach project execution, offering higher accuracy, reduced rework, and less dependency on skilled manual labour. With Malaysia continuing to invest in infrastructure, the timing is right for widespread adoption.

But the tech alone isn’t enough. That’s why we’ve built a nationwide network of Aonic Service Centers,supported by our Drone Academy Asia for training, and continue to invest in solutions that are designed for Malaysian businesses.

Our goal is simple: to make automation in Malaysia inclusive, scalable, and ready for the realities on the ground. We want to ensure that from farmers in local communities to contractors on major infrastructure projects, automation is within reach and built to last.

What is your competitive edge against other dronetech companies? Would you consider yourself more of a hardware and software drone company? Or a drone software company? How do you define your company?

Aonic is not just a drone hardware company or a drone software company. We are an end-to-end drone solutions provider. What sets us apart is our ability to deliver the full ecosystem — from cutting-edge drone technology and machine control systems to training, after-sales support, and flexible financing.

We build and customise our own in-house drone solutions and also work with global leaders like DJI Enterprise, where we are a Platinum Dealer, and CHCNAV for machine control automation. But we do not stop at selling hardware.

We help businesses integrate these technologies into their workflows, provide structured training through partners like Drone Academy Asia, and offer on-ground service in over 30 locations across the region. Another key differentiator is Aonic Flex, our financing programme that has already funded over RM20 million worth of drones for smallholder farmers.

By removing the cost barrier, we make drone and automation adoption viable even for businesses that traditionally struggle to access this kind of technology.

We define Aonic as a technology enabler. Our focus is on making automation accessible and practical, not just building products. Whether it is for agriculture, construction, surveillance, or infrastructure, our role is to deliver solutions that actually solve problems and deliver measurable results.

What gives Aonic its edge in the drone and automation space is our broader view, where we support everything from hardware and software to financing and field-level execution.

In Malaysia, when it comes to dronetech, people will think of Aerodyne. How do you see Aerodyne? as a competitor or potential collaborator?

Aerodyne has certainly contributed to raising the profile of Malaysia’s drone industry, especially on the global stage. We acknowledge the work they have done in pushing enterprise adoption in specific sectors.

At Aonic, our approach has always been rooted in building the infrastructure for sustainable, widespread automation adoption. We are proud to have contributed meaningfully to the growth of the industry through a more inclusive and on-the-ground model, whether it is through our Aonic Flex financing program, which has funded over RM20 million worth of drones for smallholder farmers, or through our network of over 30 service centres across the region.

We also play a key role in expanding the definition of dronetech, by bringing in machine control automation for construction through our partnership with CHCNAV, and by helping businesses deploy AI-powered drone solutions for agriculture, infrastructure, and public safety. As a DJI Enterprise Platinum Dealer, we also provide access to
next-generation drone technology backed by strong technical support.

Our vision is not just to scale technology, but to create a full ecosystem that enables real-world transformation for industries. That is where our focus lies – building solutions that are localised, practical, and ready to deploy at scale.

Malaysia wanted to become a dronetech hub. What do you think? How is the progress? What else do we need to achieve such ambition?

Malaysia has made a clear and commendable commitment to becoming a dronetech hub. Through initiatives like the National Drone Technology Roadmap 2022–2030, the government has laid out a long-term vision for how drone technology can support national development.

The country also benefits from a strong regulatory foundation, led by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), and innovation platforms like the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) under MRANTI, which have helped accelerate drone testing and deployment.

Progress has been promising. We are seeing greater awareness across sectors like agriculture, construction, infrastructure, and public safety. The introduction of structured licensing, regulatory sandboxes, and early efforts around Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic Management (UTM) are all important steps. However, becoming a true
dronetech hub will require more than regulation and pilot projects.

The next leap must come from wider industry adoption. Right now, many SMEs and field-based operators still face real barriers — including high upfront costs, lack of access to skilled operators, and uncertainty around how to integrate drones into their workflows.

At Aonic, this is where we are making a focused contribution. We have built an ecosystem that goes beyond technology. Through Aonic Flex, we are easing financial barriers and have already funded over MYR20 million worth of drones, primarily for smallholder farmers. Our network of over 30 service centres ensures that businesses have local support and after-sales service. We also offer training through our Drone Academy Asia to upskill operators and increase safety and adoption readiness.

Malaysia has the potential to lead the region in inclusive automation. But to realise that, we need to scale success stories, strengthen public-private partnerships, invest in workforce readiness, and localise technology in a way that matches industry needs on the ground.

We are optimistic about where things are headed, and at Aonic, we remain committed to
supporting that vision — not just through innovation, but through practical, scalable
deployment that benefits more sectors and more communities.

Can you elaborate more on the financing solutions provided by your company? Do you charge an interest? How does it work?

We introduced Aonic Flex to remove one of the most common barriers to automation — the high upfront cost of adopting new technology. Many of the businesses we serve, especially smallholder farmers and SMEs, recognise the value of automation but struggle with the capital investment required to get started.

Aonic Flex is our flexible financing programme that allows businesses to get started as low as 10 percent upfront and with interest rate starting from 0 percent with repayment periods of up to 30 months. There are no hidden fees. The structure is intentionally simple and transparent to make adoption as accessible as possible.

What we’ve seen is that once businesses begin using the technology, they start seeing real productivity gains, which supports successful repayment and long-term use. Over the past two years, Aonic Flex has funded more than MYR20 million worth of drones, with strong on-time repayment rates and very low defaults.

We are now expanding Aonic Flex beyond agriculture to support industries such as construction, logistics, and surveillance. The goal remains the same — to make automation achievable for businesses of all sizes, not just large corporations.

This financing model is a key part of our broader ecosystem approach, which includes training, after-sales support, and partnerships with global technology leaders. It ensures that businesses are not only able to acquire advanced tools, but also equipped to use them effectively.

Would you be able to disclose the latest financial information (profit/revenue)?

At this stage, we are not disclosing specific financial figures apart from the fact that our annual revenues have exceeded MYR100 million in 2023 with double digits annual growth and in a net profitable position.

Aonic is on a strong growth trajectory, driven by increasing adoption across our key verticals and positive momentum in markets like Malaysia and Thailand.

We have seen particularly strong uptake in agriculture and infrastructure, supported by programs like Aonic Flex and strategic partnerships with DJI Enterprise and CHCNAV. Our focus remains on building long-term value by expanding our automation ecosystem, investing in local training and support, and delivering practical solutions that meet real-world needs.

We are confident in the direction we are headed and will continue to scale responsibly while ensuring that our solutions remain accessible and impactful for businesses across Southeast Asia.

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