DJI, perhaps the most prominent consumer drone maker in the industry, has reportedly purchased a majority stake in Swedish camera and photography company Hasselblad.
News of the acquisition was first reported by Luminous Landscape with multiple industry sources verifying the deal with TechCrunch. The insiders note that it's not a full-on buyout but rather, DJI purchased a majority stake in the company.
DJI bought a minority stake in the iconic Swedish camera company back in 2015 for an undisclosed sum. That deal reportedly earned DJI a seat on Hasselblad's board of directors.
When asked for comment regarding the majority stake purchase, DJI told The Verge that they have no further news about their partnership with Hasselblad. The spokesperson added that they will continue to work together to "push forward world-class imaging to creators around the world."
Readers of a certain age may remember Hasselblad as one of the world's most advanced camera manufacturers. Founded in 1941, Hasselblad's cameras have a rich history as they were used to capture the image on the cover of the Beatles' Abbey Road album, the famous black and white portrait of Steve Jobs holding his chin and many of NASA's' most iconic space photos.
It'll be interesting to see exactly what DJI does with Hasselblad moving forward. The obvious answer is to somehow integrate its imaging technology into future drones but I digress.
Image courtesy Luminous Landscape