U.S.-Based Anzu Robotics Launches The Raptor, A Mavic 3 Alternative that Meets Supply Chain Concerns

There’s a new U.S. drone company in town: Austin-based Anzu Robotics.

Since opening, Anzu has been getting lots of attention for its first drone, the Raptor. The Raptor also comes with a thermal option, called the Raptor T.

One of the main reasons everyone is talking about the Raptor is because it’s a U.S.-made version of DJI’s Mavic 3 Enterprise.

Credit: Anzu Robotics

We don’t mean the Raptor is made to compete with the Mavic 3. We mean that it’s almost an exact clone of it, as far as we can tell. The only difference is that the Raptor is green.

Where Autel has made a name for itself by designing drones to go head-to-head with DJI platforms, Anzu Robotics actually has a partnership with DJI, allowing it to create a drone based on the Mavic 3’s technology. (DJI has acknowledged the partnership, though the specific details haven’t been shared publicly.)

So why sell a green Mavic 3 from a new company? Because the push to ban DJI has become so strong that many U.S. companies may prefer to buy an American-made drone, even if it costs more.

And the Raptor does cost more than the Mavic 3E—about $1,500 to $2,000 more. Here’s the price comparison:

• The Raptor is $5,100 while the Mavic 3 Enterprise starts at around $3,700
• The Raptor T is $7,600 while the Mavic 3 Thermal Enterprise starts at $5,500

Is the Raptor a Clone of the Mavic 3E?

It sure seems like it. Check out this table we made comparing the specs for the two drones:

As you can see, they’re identical. (The second camera on the Raptor may also have a 1/2″ CMOS sensor, we just weren’t able to confirm whether that’s true.)

But although the specs appear to be the same, the two drones are different in a few key ways:

• The Raptor doesn’t have geofencing. All DJI drones do have geofencing, which you have to turn off if you want to fly. (Here’s how to turn it off.)
• The Raptor has completely different software. While the Mavic 3 uses DJI’s proprietary software, the Raptor uses software from Aloft provided in a partnership the two companies have formed.
• The Raptor’s data is hosted on U.S.-based servers. Any flight data that might be captured by the drone is hosted on servers located domestically, and not in China or elsewhere.
• The Raptor is sold by a U.S.-based company. Just the fact that Anzu Robotics is located in the U.S. will be appealing to some consumers, and maybe especially to those working for government agencies at the state or federal level.

Is the Raptor Made in the U.S.?

The answer is no. But, as we just mentioned, the company is headquartered and operated within the U.S.

For a lot of U.S. customers, the most important thing about how the Raptor is made will be that it’s not made in China, and doesn’t seem to have Chinese components.

Credit: Anzu Robotics

As Congress pushes toward a nation-wide DJI ban—a prospect that seems impossible but, let’s face it, could actually happen—the need for drones that aren’t made in China is becoming more and more urgent.

So how is the Raptor made? And does it meet the NDAA’s supply chain requirements?

What we know so far is that despite the connection to DJI, almost all of the parts for the Raptor are made in Malaysia, and the drone is assembled there as well.

Once the Raptor is built, it’s sent to Anzu Robotics’ Austin headquarters, where Anzu installs firmware in the drone and performs a quality review before sending it to customers.

Credit: Anzu Robotics

Given this information, the Raptor meets NDAA supply chain standards, which require that drones not be made in a covered foreign country (China, Iran, Russia, or North Korea) or include parts from a covered foreign country.

So it’s a Malaysian-made drone sold by a U.S.-based company. And for large, high-visibility U.S. companies that want to distance themselves from Chinese drone technology, that will probably be just fine.

Government and state agencies looking for a DJI alternative may also be fine with where the Raptor is made, so long as they can buy a drone that will do what they need and won’t cost double or quadruple what a DJI drone would cost.

In fact, Anzu is betting everything on this being the case.