Lee Chi-heon, CEO of ALUX, Explains IPO Plans and Vision While Holding Company-Developed Flight Controller (FC) Photo provided by ALUX
“There are only a handful of companies worldwide capable of independently developing flight controllers (FC)—the ‘brain’ of drones. With our advanced technology, ALUX aims to expand beyond education into fields like aerial filming and surveillance, and become a global leader in lightweight drones within five years.”
Lee Chi-heon, CEO of drone and robotics company ALUX, shared this vision in a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper. Founded in 2015 by Lee and a team of former LG CNS employees, ALUX specializes in drone and robotics edtech solutions.
With growing emphasis on coding education, the company initially focused on educational robots, and since 2022, it has aggressively entered the market for training and sports drones, starting with educational models.
The integration of hardware—robots and drones—into software coding lessons enhances educational effectiveness. “Real-world demonstrations significantly improve learning outcomes, which is why drones and robots are increasingly used in coding education,” said Lee. “It also helps break down misconceptions about software, which is embedded in products like cars, smartphones, and home appliances.”
According to Lee, the mandatory integration of coding into elementary and secondary school curricula starting in 2025 is expanding the market. Unlike many competitors that rely on Chinese imports, ALUX designs and manufactures its own drones and robots, giving it a technological edge.
The company currently holds a 25% market share in Korea’s educational robot sector by revenue, supplying about 3,000 of the country’s 6,400 elementary schools. In educational drones, ALUX has a 20% share—pushing out Chinese competitors—and a 100% share among domestically made drones. Its drones are also exported for educational use in North America and military training purposes.
Lee noted that Chinese drones often bypass safety certifications, while Korean firms like ALUX ensure full compliance with regulations and offer curriculum-aligned content—building trust with educational institutions.
ALUX has also achieved significant breakthroughs in drone technology by developing its own FCs, a capability shared only with a few global leaders like DJI. “Our FCs are optimized for sub-250g lightweight drones and, in many areas, have proven superior even to DJI’s,” Lee emphasized.
Building on this technical foundation, ALUX plans to expand from educational drones into broader applications like surveillance and filming, accelerating its global push. The company’s long-standing profitability also motivated the decision to go public.
ALUX plans to establish drone subsidiaries in North America and Japan to become leading local players. With these strategies, the company aims for 20% sales growth next year and KRW 100 billion in revenue within five years. To show commitment to long-term growth, key executives—including Lee—have voluntarily extended their stock lock-up period from the standard 6 months to 18 months.
“Listing will boost our credibility during international expansion and allow us to raise capital for building our own factories and hiring top talent,” said Lee. “We plan to lead the global lightweight drone market through acquisitions in North America and joint ventures in Japan.”
— Maeil Business Newspaper, Reporter Oh Dae-seok
Article link (Korean)
Lee Chi-heon, CEO of ALUX, Explains IPO Plans and Vision While Holding Company-Developed Flight Controller (FC) Photo provided by ALUX
“There are only a handful of companies worldwide capable of independently developing flight controllers (FC)—the ‘brain’ of drones. With our advanced technology, ALUX aims to expand beyond education into fields like aerial filming and surveillance, and become a global leader in lightweight drones within five years.”
Lee Chi-heon, CEO of drone and robotics company ALUX, shared this vision in a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper. Founded in 2015 by Lee and a team of former LG CNS employees, ALUX specializes in drone and robotics edtech solutions.
With growing emphasis on coding education, the company initially focused on educational robots, and since 2022, it has aggressively entered the market for training and sports drones, starting with educational models.
The integration of hardware—robots and drones—into software coding lessons enhances educational effectiveness. “Real-world demonstrations significantly improve learning outcomes, which is why drones and robots are increasingly used in coding education,” said Lee. “It also helps break down misconceptions about software, which is embedded in products like cars, smartphones, and home appliances.”
According to Lee, the mandatory integration of coding into elementary and secondary school curricula starting in 2025 is expanding the market. Unlike many competitors that rely on Chinese imports, ALUX designs and manufactures its own drones and robots, giving it a technological edge.
The company currently holds a 25% market share in Korea’s educational robot sector by revenue, supplying about 3,000 of the country’s 6,400 elementary schools. In educational drones, ALUX has a 20% share—pushing out Chinese competitors—and a 100% share among domestically made drones. Its drones are also exported for educational use in North America and military training purposes.
Lee noted that Chinese drones often bypass safety certifications, while Korean firms like ALUX ensure full compliance with regulations and offer curriculum-aligned content—building trust with educational institutions.
ALUX has also achieved significant breakthroughs in drone technology by developing its own FCs, a capability shared only with a few global leaders like DJI. “Our FCs are optimized for sub-250g lightweight drones and, in many areas, have proven superior even to DJI’s,” Lee emphasized.
Building on this technical foundation, ALUX plans to expand from educational drones into broader applications like surveillance and filming, accelerating its global push. The company’s long-standing profitability also motivated the decision to go public.
ALUX plans to establish drone subsidiaries in North America and Japan to become leading local players. With these strategies, the company aims for 20% sales growth next year and KRW 100 billion in revenue within five years. To show commitment to long-term growth, key executives—including Lee—have voluntarily extended their stock lock-up period from the standard 6 months to 18 months.
“Listing will boost our credibility during international expansion and allow us to raise capital for building our own factories and hiring top talent,” said Lee. “We plan to lead the global lightweight drone market through acquisitions in North America and joint ventures in Japan.”
— Maeil Business Newspaper, Reporter Oh Dae-seok
Article link (Korean)