Chris Raabe has been a pioneer in the Japanese drone industry since 2010. He began his journey by developing robust control and non-GPS navigation systems for multicopters as a doctoral candidate and later as a faculty member at the renowned University of Tokyo. He then transitioned to the role of CTO and board member at ACSL, Japan’s leading manufacturer of multicopter drones. Throughout his career, Chris has collaborated with various governmental and industrial entities across Japan, focusing on infrastructure inspection, surveying and mapping, disaster response, logistics, and other specialized applications.

Since joining ACSL in 2017, Chris has overseen the development of over 10 products, achieved more than a tenfold increase in revenue, and played a critical role in ACSL’s IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2018. In 2023, Chris relocated to the US to spearhead ACSL’s expansion into the American market.

Before his tenure in Japan, Chris worked as an engineer at Boeing starting in 2006, where he supported autopilot and flight control engineering for the 737-NG and 747-8 programs. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.