Selfie drone company shut down despite $34m pre-orders

Eagerly anticipated "selfie drone" the Lily Camera, which promised to be able to follow owners around and automatically photograph them, has been cancelled by its designers. The drone secured at least $34m of pre-orders since going on sale on the manufacturer's website in June, but the costs of development continually outpaced the speed with which Lily could raise funds. Lily's founders, Antoine Balaresque and Henry Bradlow, informed customers that due to failures to secure financing in order to manufacture and ship products, they would be forced to shut down the company and offer refunds to customers. They said: "We have been delighted by the steady advancements in the quality of our product and have received great feedback from our Beta program. At the same time, we have been racing against a clock of ever-diminishing funds."