Aonic

Cover Block

Name	Aonic
Tagline	End-to-end drone solutions provider for enterprise agriculture, industrial, and other sectors.
Headquarters	Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Founded	2016
Stage	Series A
Business Model	B2B
Industry	Agtech
Technology	Robotics
Geography	Southeast Asia
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Jin Xi Cheong [LinkedIn, Tatler Asia]
Funding Label	$10M+ (total disclosed ~$14.3M) [Tracxn, 2026]

Links

• Website: https://aonic.co/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aonicgroup/

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Confirmed by company website and LinkedIn profile.

Summary and Signal

Aonic, a Malaysian drone solutions provider, builds an integrated hardware, software, and service model for enterprise agriculture. Founded during the Founder Institute Penang Winter 2016 cohort by Jin Xi Cheong, the company evolved from a drone services provider into an "end-to-end drone ecosystem," controlling the customer journey from mapping and spraying to financing and operational support [AsiaTechDaily, Unknown]. Its core differentiation rests on vertical integration and a claimed pioneering role in point-to-point agricultural spraying systems within Asia [Tatler Asia, Unknown].

Aonic has secured venture-scale backing, with a total disclosed raise of approximately $14.3 million from a syndicate including Wavemaker Partners, Hibiscus Fund, and Kairous Capital, which led a $10 million Series A round in early 2026 [Tracxn, 2026] [AsiaTechDaily, 2026]. The business model is B2B, targeting large agricultural and industrial enterprises.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core company facts are confirmed by multiple databases, but key operational metrics and customer traction details rely on limited public reporting.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Series A
Business Model	B2B
Industry / Vertical	Agtech
Technology Type	Robotics
Geography	Southeast Asia
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Funding	$10M+ (total disclosed ~$14.3M)

Company Overview

Aonic was founded during the Founder Institute Penang Winter 2016 cohort in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, by Jin Xi Cheong [Tracxn, 2026][Author note, Apr 2026]. The company originated as a drone services provider, initially operating under the name Poladrone, before evolving into its current form as an end-to-end drone solutions provider [AsiaTechDaily]. Aonic has cited work with major regional agricultural enterprises, including a deployment for palm oil spraying with Sime Darby Plantations [YouTube]. The company's recent $10 million Series A round, led by Kairous Capital and announced in March 2026, represents its most significant publicly disclosed capital event to date [AsiaTechDaily, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core founding details are consistent across databases, but specific milestone dates and entity history are not fully corroborated by primary legal filings.

The Product and the Stack

Aonic's public positioning describes an integrated hardware-and-software offering for enterprise drone operations, with a specific focus on agricultural spraying. The company has evolved from a pure service provider to an "end-to-end drone ecosystem," encompassing hardware, proprietary software, training, financing, and operational support [AsiaTechDaily]. Its flagship application is point-to-point agricultural spraying, building out mapping and surveying systems to support the service [Tatler Asia]. A named deployment with Sime Darby Plantations involves spraying for pest control using a model called the Oryctes drone [YouTube].

The product suite targets multiple sectors beyond agriculture, including industrial operations, services, retail, education, and lifestyle [Crunchbase]. Recent job postings for roles in retail merchandising and marketing indicate the company is actively building out commercial functions for its "Lifestyle" and "Retail" segments [PUBLIC] [Aonic Careers, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced from press and company channels, but specific technical specifications, software feature lists, and detailed deployment metrics are not publicly available.

Market Research and Opportunity

The market for commercial drone services in Southeast Asia is being reshaped by the region's need to boost agricultural productivity and industrial efficiency against a backdrop of labor shortages and rising operational costs.

Metric	Value
Global Agricultural Drone Market 2023	$5.89B
Global Commercial Drone Market 2023	$30.6B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing figures are from third-party global reports, not specific to Aonic's geography or segment. Demand drivers are inferred from sector coverage.

The Competitive Field

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Aonic	End-to-end drone ecosystem for enterprise agriculture and industrial sectors in Southeast Asia.	Series A, $14.3M total raised (estimated) [Tracxn, 2026]	Full-stack offering: hardware, software, training, financing, and operational support.
Aerodyne	Global drone-powered enterprise solutions provider, strong in asset management and inspections.	Later stage; acquired by Japanese firm in 2023 for $200M+. [PUBLIC]	Global scale and deep expertise in infrastructure and energy inspections.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor data is based on public profiles; Aonic's positioning is sourced from a single trade publication. The funding total is estimated from a database.

Opportunity

Aonic aims to become the default integrated drone-as-a-service platform for large-scale plantation agriculture in Southeast Asia. The company has moved beyond selling individual drones, building an "end-to-end drone ecosystem" that includes hardware, software, training, financing, and operational support [AsiaTechDaily]. The cited deployment with Sime Darby Plantations demonstrates initial traction with a marquee customer in the region's most significant cash crop sector [YouTube].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core opportunity claims are cited from single sources; expansion into industrial solutions is noted in a company video.

Sources

1. [AsiaTechDaily] Malaysia’s Aonic Raises $10M to Scale Agri-Drone Tech as Automation Race Accelerates | https://asiatechdaily.com/malaysias-aonic-raises-10m-to-scale-agri-drone-tech-as-automation-race-accelerates/
2. [AsiaTechDaily, 2026] Malaysia’s Aonic Raises $10M to Scale Agri-Drone Tech as Automation Race Accelerates | https://asiatechdaily.com/malaysias-aonic-raises-10m-to-scale-agri-drone-tech-as-automation-race-accelerates/
3. [Tracxn, 2026] Aonic - 2026 Company Profile, Team, Funding & Competitors | https://tracxn.com/d/companies/aonic/__bRB4gqA_6VrlR2UuUd6YeMymZvwpS_Chxpt1gZBJtus
4. [Crunchbase] Aonic (Formerly Poladrone) - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/aonicgroup
5. [LinkedIn] Aonic (Formerly Poladrone) | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/aonicgroup/
6. [Tatler Asia] Jin Xi Cheong | Tatler Asia | https://www.tatlerasia.com/people/jin-xi-cheong
7. [Forbes] Jin Xi Cheong - Forbes | https://www.forbes.com/profile/jin-xi-cheong/
8. [YouTube] Aonic corporate video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unknown
9. [Aonic Careers, 2026] Aonic Careers Page | https://careers.aonic.com/jobs/7470867-merchandising-intern-retail
10. [Precedence Research, 2023] Global Agricultural Drone Market Report | https://www.precedenceresearch.com/agricultural-drone-market
11. [Grand View Research, 2023] Commercial Drone Market Size Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/commercial-drones-market