Drones World Editor Kartikeya in conversation with Martin Steinbach, General Manager EMEA, HOVERAir
You joined HOVERAir at a time when the company is expanding its global footprint and establishing its EMEA headquarters in Munich. What makes this the right moment for the brand to accelerate its presence in the region?
This is a very natural moment for HOVERAir to scale in EMEA. We’re seeing strong and growing demand for AI-powered self-flying products that simplify content creation. At the same time, full-perspective, dynamic angles are becoming increasingly important—whether in sports, among content creators, or for tech enthusiasts. We all saw how engaging these perspectives were during the Winter Olympics across almost all sports captured by drones.
HOVERAir essentially invented the self-flying camera category and continues to lead the technology in this space, making these kinds of shots accessible to everyone without needing a pilot or a production crew.
Sitting right at the intersection of these trends, it makes this the perfect moment to expand our presence and bring these innovations closer to users across the region.
You spent more than a decade leading marketing for GoPro across EMEA. What key lessons from the action camera industry will shape your strategy as you build HOVERAir’s market position?
One of the biggest learnings is that great technology alone isn’t enough—you need to inspire people with what’s possible. At GoPro, storytelling and community were key drivers of growth, and that will also be central to HOVERAir.
That’s why we’re working closely with world-class athletes like snowboarding world champion Marcus Kleveland, multiple-time mountain bike world champion Nino Schurter, as well as top-tier creators like Danny MacAskill and Sam Pilgrim. Together, we want to showcase what’s truly possible with these products in real-world scenarios.
We want to show how effortless it can be to capture incredible moments, without needing a crew or technical setup.
Another important lesson is the value of strong partnerships and distribution networks, as well as building products that truly fit into people’s lifestyles. That’s exactly the approach we’re taking at HOVERAir.
Munich will serve as the central hub for HOVERAir’s EMEA operations. How will this new headquarters strengthen partnerships, distribution networks, and regional engagement?
Munich is an excellent starting point for reaching many key markets across EMEA. It’s strategically located in the heart of Europe and serves as the gateway to the Alps, which are essentially the largest playground for many of our core audiences across sports and outdoor activities.
It’s also very close to one of our key distribution partners, Aqipa, which further strengthens our operational setup.
Beyond that, the city offers access to a strong pool of international and young talent, which will be crucial as we continue to grow. Being based in Munich allows us to stay closely connected to partners, customers, and the broader tech ecosystem in the region.
With Sarah Bergler leading sales and Nicolai Steidle driving marketing strategy, how do you envision this leadership team working together to expand HOVERAir’s presence across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa?
We see this as a highly complementary setup. Sarah brings deep expertise in building strong sales structures and scaling distribution in the outdoor industry, while Nicolai focuses on brand building and demand generation, shaped by his background in wintersports and marketing.
Together, we work very closely to ensure that sales and marketing are fully aligned—from market entry strategies to local activations. This level of integration is key to successfully growing across such a diverse and dynamic region.
Demand for compact, intelligent self-flying cameras is rising rapidly. What role do artificial intelligence and autonomous imaging technologies play in shaping the next generation of aerial content creation?
AI and autonomous technologies are at the core of what makes this category so exciting. They remove complexity and make high-quality aerial content accessible to a much broader audience.
Instead of focusing on flying a drone, users can focus on their experience while the device intelligently captures the best moments. These systems are becoming increasingly smart in understanding their environment and anticipating the next best shot—completely autonomously, without the need for manual control.
At the same time, the entire user experience is becoming much more seamless, from connectivity and control to how footage is processed, edited, and shared. The goal is to make the full journey from capture to content as effortless as possible.
This shift, from manual control to intelligent, autonomous capture across more environments and a fully integrated content workflow, will define the next generation of content creation.
HOVERAir is preparing to introduce AQUA, the world’s first waterproof self-flying camera. What new possibilities could this open for users, particularly in action sports and outdoor environments?
AQUA will be a real game changer for many sports and outdoor activities. As the world’s first waterproof self-flying camera, it enables completely new perspectives that are often hard, or even impossible, to capture from the shore with traditional cameras or drones.
At the same time, it removes one of the biggest barriers of conventional drones: the fear of losing them in water. With AQUA, users can fully focus on their activity, knowing the device is built to operate safely on and around water.
Despite its compact, sub-250g form factor, AQUA delivers strong performance, following you at speeds of up to 55 km/h and handling wind conditions up to level 7.
Because it follows you autonomously, there’s no need for a camera operator, making it easier than ever to capture dynamic, high-quality footage from entirely new angles.
Ultimately, AQUA expands the use of self-flying cameras into water-based environments, unlocking new creative possibilities for activities like surfing, kayaking, or swimming—without added complexity or risk.
