Donecle, a startup out of Toulouse specialising in automated plane inspection utilizing autonomous drones and synthetic intelligence, introduced a brand new €10 million funding spherical to speed up its worldwide enlargement, significantly in Europe and the USA.
The spherical was led collectively by IRDI Capital Investissement and SWEN Capital Companions, with the participation of GSO Innovation and ARIS Occitanie.
Matthieu Claybrough, co-founder and CEO of Donecle, says: “This new spherical of funding will give us the assets to scale up internationally and additional verify our market main place by growing our know-how and use of synthetic intelligence. The brand new buyers, led by IRDI Capital Investissement and SWEN Capital Companions, have deep understanding of our market place and can present tailor-made help alongside capital to assist us in our subsequent section of development.”
Within the broader 2025–2026 funding image round drone-enabled inspection, autonomous operations and adjoining upkeep software program, Donecle’s €10 million spherical sits alongside Voliro, the Zurich-based aerial robotics firm that raised €19.8 million to speed up deployment of its autonomous inspection robots; Energy Robotics, based mostly in Darmstadt, which secured €11.5 million to broaden autonomous robot-and-drone inspection software program; Rift, a Paris-based aerial intelligence firm that raised €4.6 million to deploy its on-demand drone community and is the clearest same-country adjoining comparability; and AirHub, from Groningen, which raised €4.4 million for mission-critical drone operations software program.
Taken along with Donecle, these disclosed rounds quantity to over €50 million, indicating sustained investor curiosity in applied sciences that automate inspection, enhance traceability and scale back labour depth throughout aviation and different critical-asset environments.
Benjamin Lillo, Funding Director at IRDI Capital Investissement provides: “We’re satisfied that the digitalisation of upkeep operations has turn out to be important in a context the place expert labour is turning into more and more scarce. Donecle supplies a concrete answer by combining the digitalisation of inspections with structured knowledge administration. This funding totally aligns with our regional fund technique, which goals to help revolutionary firms with robust native roots, whereas fostering their transition towards a scalable, value-creating software program mannequin”.
Based in 2015, Donecle presents a patented aviation inspection answer combining autonomous drones, high-resolution imaging, and superior AI to help plane upkeep.
The corporate says that their complete system automates inspections which can be nonetheless largely carried out manually, finishing this course of as much as 10x sooner and delivering vital positive aspects in value financial savings, reliability, effectivity, pace of execution and security for technicians. It additionally reportedly strengthens the reliability and traceability of upkeep operations.
Donecle primarily serves the industrial aviation sector, in addition to enterprise and army aviation.
Past the automation of inspections, Donecle is growing a software program layer designed to transform collected knowledge into immediately actionable insights. Over time, this knowledge is meant to be built-in into MRO (Upkeep, Restore, and Overhaul) programs, enhancing traceability and lengthy‑time period monitoring.
This method additionally allows the automation of sure upkeep choices, positioning Donecle as a future predictive upkeep administration platform.
The corporate additionally outlines that their answer can also be contributing to the decarbonisation of aviation, changing diesel-powered aerial work platforms with a digitised answer. The efficiencies in comparison with guide inspections additionally reduces plane downtime, decreasing the necessity for hangar house and spare plane.
Donecle estimates that its drone fleet has already saved a number of thousand tonnes of CO2eq.
Jason Bigeard, Funding Director in SWEN Capital Companions’ VC Tech for Good technique, says: “Donecle is at a pivotal second in its growth, with a patented, confirmed know-how which is poised for fast worldwide enlargement. This funding is totally aligned with our funding thesis, which goals to help revolutionary, high-impact firms. Donecle’s distinctive, totally automated drone and AI inspection know-how contributes to the decarbonisation of air transport upkeep operations, driving efficiencies, value financial savings and reliability.”
The corporate has grown to function greater than 40 drones in 15 nations worldwide (from 30 initially of 2025) and has developed the one answer in the marketplace licensed by each Airbus and Boeing and by the European Union Aviation Security Company (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), enabling it to serve world industrial fleets.
Its answer is in use by quite a few airways and army air forces, together with United, LATAM, DHL, Viva, Lufthansa French Air Drive and the Royal Air Drive.
With this newest funding spherical, Donecle intends to speed up its development in Europe and the USA, together with by way of strategic partnerships and focused acquisitions. The corporate presently has a crew of 35 workers in France and plans to rent about ten extra employees members within the coming months.
The corporate additionally goals to proceed investing in AI to additional advance its applied sciences and broaden its providing.
