Insta360 opened its first US flagship store in Times Square, New York City, on a Saturday morning in September, bringing a Shenzhen camera maker into a market where its larger rival DJI has been blocked from selling new products.
DJI dominates the global civilian drone market. In handheld smart cameras, it accounted for 73% of global shipments, against Insta360’s 20%. GoPro, an early action-camera company, has been largely pushed out of the market.
The US Department of Defense has labelled DJI a Chinese military company. The Federal Communications Commission has since blocked DJI from selling new drones and cameras in the US.
That has given Insta360 greater certainty under 2024 regulatory rules, while DJI’s new products are barred from Federal Communications Commission approval. Both companies are based in Shenzhen.
For Insta360, the stakes are substantial. Max Richter, its co-founder, said the US supplies 30% to 40% of the company’s revenue.
The company launched Antigravity as an independent drone brand in 2025. The brand was incubated with third parties, whose identities were not specified.
Chris Pereira, founder of the consultancy iMpact, said: “There are restrictions, but it's better to have a clear no than maybe in business.”
The restrictions leave Insta360 and Antigravity seeking an opening among American content creators who had relied on DJI equipment. Whether that translates into additional US revenue or market share remains unclear.
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