Osaka drone show startup White Crow lands regional fund backing
What's the deal? White CrowDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Osaka-based drone show startup, has raised early-stage venture funding from the Osaka Regional Revitalization Fund, jointly set up by Osaka Shinkin BankDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and ABAKAMDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The investment was made on September 25, 2026, and marks the fund's third deal.
What does the company do? Founded in June 2024 and led by chief executive officer Aya Horiuchi, White Crow plans, produces, and runs drone shows that depict local history and culture in the night sky. It also sells drone-related hardware, including the "Swarm X4" show aircraft, which it began selling in Japan in August 2026.
Why now? The fund, set up in April 2025 under a partnership between Osaka Shinkin Bank, ABAKAM, and Osaka Prefecture, backs founders and operators working on regional revitalisation. It judged White Crow's work on tourism and visitor creation as a contribution to that goal.
The track record: White Crow has run more than 15 projects across over 30 performances. These include shows in Izumisano (300 aircraft, about 60,000 spectators) and at Fukuyama Castle (300 aircraft, about 16,000 spectators).
What's the endgame? White Crow will use the money to push drone shows beyond large events into regional promotion, tourism, and corporate marketing. It also plans to strengthen its planning, sales, production, and operations teams to meet rising demand.
Its run of the "Minamiai Drone Fantasy Night" in Shimogo, Fukushima, hosted by Fukushima Prefecture, won the grand prize in the regional revitalisation category at the Japan Drone Show Creativity Awards 2025.
In their words: "Drone shows have the power to turn a region's history and culture into an experience where many people look up at the same night sky," Horiuchi said (translated from Japanese).
The signal: White Crow's raise shows how regional banks and local funds in Japan are backing niche creative startups as tools for tourism and community building, betting that experience-driven events can draw visitors to smaller areas.
Read more: prtimes.jp
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
