With its new round of investment, supported by a consortium of new and existing investors, SwissDrones is set to deliver its long-range uncrewed helicopter systems globally. This announcement comes shortly after the startup’s 7-digit capital increase in January.
A consortium of investors including aviation investor DiamondStream Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, Ingleside Investors, and a continued commitment from existing shareholders in the previous round, have raised USD 10 million for SwissDrones, marking another significant milestone in the startup’s rapid development.
“We are excited to close this round with such high-calibre investors now joining our growth journey. The proceeds will be deployed to further expand our global footprint to address the tremendous market demand for our integrated solutions from corporate and public sector entities around the world,” said Ulrich Amberg, CEO of SwissDrones.
A specialist in the development, manufacturing, and operation of long-range unmanned helicopter systems for commercial and public safety applications, SwissDrones develops twin-rotor unmanned helicopter systems to replace manned helicopters for tasks like surveillance, inspection, search and rescue, environmental monitoring, powerline inspection, firefighting, and more. The intelligent aerial systems allow for the integration of high-end sensor payloads, have long flight endurance of multiple hours and can operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) both day and night. SwissDrones is one of the first organizations that have obtained a European drone operator license, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC).
In addition to its growing customer base, which currently includes players from major utilities, oil & gas companies, and research institutions in Asia, Europe and North America, the startup has expanded its team and is now set for further growth. The proceeds from its latest round will fuel its growth ambitions.
“With a solution that is designed to gather data more efficiently at lower cost and with less risk to workers, SwissDrones can enable advanced field operations and improved safety,” said Jim Gable, Vice President of Innovation in Chevron’s Technical Center and President of Technology Ventures at Chevron. “This is the latest investment from our Core Fund, which focuses on high-growth startups and breakthrough technologies that have the potential to improve Chevron's core oil and gas businesses, as well as create new growth opportunities. We welcome SwissDrones to the portfolio.”
(Press release/RAN)
The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
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