Voliro, a Swiss innovator in aerial robotics, right this moment introduced an extension of its Collection A spherical, bringing the full raised to €19.8 million to speed up improvement and deployment of their autonomous aerial inspection robots.
Voliroʼs Collection A extension noticed new participation from noa and the addition of a debt facility from UBS. The unique spherical was led by Cherry Ventures.
“Voliroʼs know-how straight addresses a trifecta of world wants: bettering industrial resilience and security, enabling the local weather adaptation and vitality transition by higher sustaining belongings like wind farms, and assuaging extreme workforce shortages within the inspection discipline. Our know-how represents a mandatory instrument to guard the constructed atmosphere that all of us depend on,ˮ stated Florian Gutzwiller, Voliroʼs CEO.
Based in 2019 and a spin-off of ETH Zurichʼs Autonomous Methods Lab, Voliro develops superior aerial robots that carry out precision inspection and upkeep duties at peak. The companyʼs flagship Voliro T drone incorporates a patented 360° tiltable rotor system, permitting it to make steady contact with constructions for non-destructive testing (NDT) and different high-value inspection interventions.
Voliroʼs open-platform design helps a spread of sensor and gear payloads, enabling one robotic to deal with a number of industrial inspection wants.
The mission of Voliro is to extend security, information high quality, and effectivity for work at peak, making certain that vital infrastructure may be monitored and maintained with out placing people in harmʼs method.
Constructed on a patented tiltable-rotor design and outfitted with interchangeable sensor payloads, the Voliro T platform seems to be to current a brand new customary in clever, contact-based inspection.
Since its founding, Voliro has established a robust international footprint with 100+ contact inspections month-to-month and 40+ clients in 17 nations, together with Chevron, Holcim, and Acuren.
“Massive scale Industrial inspections are a large alternative for robotics and automation disruption. Each getting older and new belongings, whether or not industrial, vitality or infrastructure associated, will profit from extra frequent, automated, dependable, and data-driven inspections,ˮ stated Gregory Dewerpe, Founder and Managing Companion at noa. ˮWeʼre delighted to associate with Voliro, a breakthrough platform with the potential to rework how vital infrastructure is maintained and safeguarded within the a long time to come back, and our first funding in my house nation of Switzerland.ˮ
As industrial belongings age, Voliro argues that failures in vital, hard-to-access constructions like flare stacks, storage tanks, chimneys, and towers have gotten extra frequent, dangerous, and dear. Investigations into main accidents over the previous decade repeatedly cite corrosion, wall thinning, or undetected fatigue as root causes – points which can be steadily neglected as a result of conventional inspections are pricey, rare, and largely reactive.
Studies show that up to 30% of major industrial accidents in Europe involve aging infrastructure and integrity issues. Globally, corrosion-related failures are estimated to price the financial system €2.1 trillion annually. Conventional inspection strategies depend on scaffolding, rope entry, and shutdowns – approaches that Voliro says introduce vital threat, delay vital diagnostics, and restrict how usually inspections may be carried out.
On the identical time, within the U.S., nearly two-thirds of certified NDT (non-destructive testing) professionals are over 40, reflecting a broader development seen throughout OECD nations, the place a wave of retirements is accelerating as a result of getting older populations. As skilled inspectors exit the workforce, industries face a necessity for smarter know-how and instruments that scale back reliance on guide entry whereas attracting a brand new era of digital-native technicians.
Voliro goals to handle this twin problem with their class of aerial robots designed to examine hard-to-reach infrastructure safely and effectively. From flare stacks and storage tanks to wind turbine blades and transmission towers, the Voliro T platform empowers asset house owners throughout the vitality, chemical substances, and renewables sectors to detect points early with proactive upkeep and scale back downtime.
Within the fast-growing wind business, the place uptime is essential, Voliro reportedly allows 5x quicker wind turbine lightning safety system (LPS) inspections with insights – chopping downtime and lowering inspection prices by as much as 50%, all with out guide entry.
Gutzwiller provides: “Infrastructure is the spine of contemporary civilisation – and sustaining it is likely one of the nice challenges of our time. With the assist of noa Ventures and a rising community of forward-looking clients, weʼre delivering on a imaginative and prescient that when felt like science fiction: autonomous aerial robots on the forefront of business intelligence. By combining cutting-edge robotics with real-world security, sustainability, and workforce wants, weʼre contributing to a better future for the fashionable world.ˮ
The brand new funding will speed up the event of the next-generation Voliro T platform – together with deeper cloud integration with the assist of AI-powered inspection reporting diagnostics, enhanced autonomy, and modular payloads. These developments mark a shift from semi-automated inspection towards full autonomy – and from passive sensing to lively intervention – pushing the boundaries of what aerial robots can do in industrial environments.
