Insta360 Maker Arashi Vision to Launch Panoramic Drone Amid Soaring R&D Costs
Arashi Vision, the company behind the Insta360 camera brand, reported a 92.64% surge in third-quarter revenue for 2025, driven by new product launches and market expansion. However, a sharp increase in research and development expenditure caused net profit to decline.
The imaging technology firm announced that its revenue for the third quarter reached RMB 2.94 billion (US$408 million), though net profit attributable to shareholders fell 15.90% year-on-year to RMB 272 million. For the first nine months of 2025, revenue grew 67.18% to RMB 6.61 billion, while net profit decreased by 5.95% to RMB 792 million.
Arashi Vision attributed the profit drop to aggressive investments in R&D, which a company filing noted were focused on custom chips and other strategic projects. R&D expenses in the third quarter alone jumped 164.81% to RMB 524 million, accounting for 17.81% of revenue. The company stated that profit metrics would have shown year-on-year growth if not for these front-loaded investments.
In a significant strategic move, the company confirmed its entry into the drone market and plans to launch two distinct brands. One of these, a panoramic drone co-developed with a third party under the brand Antigravity, has nearly completed public testing. A trial launch of the Antigravity drone is tentatively scheduled for select regional markets in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The move into unmanned aerial vehicles is part of a broader strategy to expand the application of its core panoramic imaging technology. According to the company, creating new drone brands aims to build a stronger brand identity, attract specialized talent, and better manage competition in the new segment.
Despite the pressure on its bottom line, Arashi Vision has strengthened its market position. Data from Huajing Industry Research Institute shows the company’s share of the global smart imaging device market grew to 35.6% in 2024 from 28.4% a year earlier. The company also continues to expand its product ecosystem and retail footprint, recently opening a flagship store in Hong Kong and topping sales charts during major online shopping festivals in China.