It swarmed. It soared. It took selfies. Then it vanished. The Zano drone promised a flying future in your pocket but ended up crashing harder than any drone ever had.
The Rise of a Kickstarter Legend
In November 2014, a small UK-based tech firm, Torquing Group Ltd., launched a Kickstarter campaign that instantly caught fire. The product? Zano, an ultra-portable, autonomous aerial photography drone the size of your palm.
Packed with high-tech features like obstacle avoidance, gesture control, real-time video streaming, and a “follow me” function, Zano connected directly to your smartphone and was marketed as the ultimate hands-free flying camera.
“When we began work on ZANO, our goal was to make aerial photography and video capture truly accessible to everyone,” said Reece Crowther, Head of Marketing.
“Right out of the box, you could begin capturing and sharing stunning aerial photographs and videos, with no complex flight training required,” added Ivan Reedman, Head of R&D.
With a slick promotional video, military-grade development credentials, and promises of monthly capability updates, Zano felt like the GoPro of the sky. The campaign soared to raise £2.3 million (around $3.4 million) from more than 12,000 backers, becoming Europe’s most-funded Kickstarter project at the time.
Founder profile:
Ivan Reedman, the visionary behind Zano, was a seasoned engineer with deep roots in the defense and aerospace sectors. As Head of Research and Development at Torquing Group Ltd., he specialized in autonomous and swarming nano UAV technologies.
Reedman had been developing compact unmanned aerial systems since 2010, initially for military and industrial use. His ambition with Zano was to democratize this cutting-edge drone technology and make it accessible to everyday consumers.
Despite his impressive technical background, the leap from defense innovation to mass-market hardware proved more complex than expected, and the Zano project ultimately became a cautionary tale of what happens when ambition outpaces execution.
Delays, Excuses, and Amazon Controversy
Originally promised for June 2015, Zano’s production faced delay after delay. Torquing Group cited software issues, firmware tweaks, and supply chain coordination problems.
Backers were frustrated but patient until they noticed Zano units being listed for sale on Amazon, despite many still waiting for their pledge rewards. The team claimed these were sample units or retail deals, but confidence was already beginning to nosedive.
When some units did ship, they failed to meet expectations:
- Difficulty holding flight position
- Poor image quality
- Unresponsive obstacle avoidance
- App bugs and Bluetooth disconnections
This wasn’t the intelligent, autonomous flying assistant people had backed. It was barely functional.
Public Backlash and Financial Collapse
In November 2015, the company made a shocking announcement:
“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm Torquing Group Ltd. is commencing the process of liquidation.”
There would be no refunds. No fixes. Only silence.
Kickstarter took an unprecedented step by commissioning an independent investigation into the failure. Journalist Mark Harris published a scathing report that concluded:
- The drone was rushed and underdeveloped.
- Hardware couldn’t support promised features.
- The team lacked experience in mass-market consumer tech.
- Only around 600 functioning Zano units were shipped out of over 12,000 pledges.
Despite the $3.4 million raised, the product failed catastrophically.
Founder Net Worth in 2025
Ivan Reedman, the technical visionary behind Zano, has kept a low public profile since the collapse. There’s no evidence of new successful ventures, and as of 2025, his estimated net worth is under $100,000.
While his prior experience in defense technology remains respected, his attempt at launching a consumer product ended with reputation damage and investor distrust.
The Pivot
After Torquing Group dissolved, the Zano brand didn’t entirely die. A stripped-down version of the drone surfaced via Hobby King, a drone and RC product supplier. These units lacked the original features like autonomy or “follow me” functions essentially just a toy drone wearing the Zano name.
There was no real pivot by the original team. No update. No post-mortem from the founders. Just a brand that had been reduced to a ghost of its promise.
A Legacy of Warnings
Zano became a landmark case not of fraud, but of over-promising and under-delivering.
Its fallout sparked major changes:
- Kickstarter updated its guidelines to demand more transparency from hardware creators.
- It taught backers to approach tech crowdfunding with caution.
- The name “Zano” became a shorthand for crowdfunding cautionary tales.
The phrase “Don’t get Zano’d” is still used in forums today, symbolizing the risks of hardware hype without execution.
FAQ
Q: Did Kickstarter offer refunds for Zano backers?
A: No. Kickstarter is not responsible for project outcomes and did not issue refunds, but they did fund an investigation.
Q: Was Zano a scam?
A: No criminal fraud was proven. But the product failed to deliver, and most backers never received a working unit.
Q: Can I buy Zano today?
A: HobbyKing briefly sold units under the Zano name, but they lacked the advertised smart features.
Q: What made Zano fail?
A: Inexperienced management, overly ambitious promises, and underdeveloped hardware and software.
Q: What did Zano change about Kickstarter?
A: It triggered new platform rules and increased public scrutiny of hardware crowdfunding campaigns.
