The Zurich-based company Fotokite has raised 10 million Swiss francs in a Series B financing round that was led by Carbyne Equity Partners, an investment firm based in Hamburg. In addition, existing investors such as the private equity Growth I fund from Swisscanto, the asset management arm of the Zürcher Kantonalbank group, and Credit Suisse Entrepreneur Capital Ltd. also participated in the financing round.
With this latest investment, Fotokite has successfully consolidated its position as a leading provider of actively tethered drone technology for emergency services, as the company writes in a press release. This system helps to avoid the safety issues and regulatory hurdles associated with conventional drones. Fotokite now has its sights set on expanding its customer base in the public safety sector, while additional product features are to be developed and operations expanded as well. The company is already represented on six continents.
The Fotokite Sigma system consists of a ground station attached to the roof of an emergency vehicle. According to the information, it can be deployed at just the touch of a button. Within seconds, emergency response teams can access aerial photos of the location at a height of up to 45 meters.
“This investment underscores the confidence in our vision and the value of our autonomous solutions for first responders”, comments Bart Slager, CEO of Fotokite, which was renamed in 2023 having initially been founded as Perspective Robotics in 2016. He adds: “With our expanded resources and global reach, we are poised to make an even greater impact in helping emergency response teams save lives and protect communities around the world”.
