Voliro AG, which is based in Zurich, has announced that it has successfully closed a seed financing round. As detailed by the start-up, which was founded in 2019, it has raised a total of 2 million Swiss francs. Voliro now intends to accelerate the development process for its flying inspection and maintenance robots and “package the amazing technology into an industrial grade product”.
The Voliro T flying robot can, according to information from the company itself, be equipped with numerous sensors depending on the area of applications. There are “various” options for configuring sensor payloads. In this way, for example, the thickness of materials can be measured using ultrasonic testing, measurements related to the dry film thickness can be taken and corrosion underneath insulation elements can be identified by way of eddy-current testing. The Voliro T is described as being “safe and easy” to fly, even in close proximity to buildings. No other flying inspection robot possesses these capabilities. The company has already filed for the relevant patents.
The financing round was led by Alpana Ventures, which is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. However, Backbone Ventures, the Cantonal Bank of Zurich and a “a group of very prominent Business Angels” also took part in the process. “We are very happy and excited to welcome the new investors onboard”, comments Mina Kamel, CEO and co-founder of Voliro AG, in the press release, before adding: “Together we are revolutionizing work at height. Critical infrastructure in many industries is aging and it is essential to develop innovative ways to perform regular inspections and maintenance, to ensure the safety and integrity of structures”.
Alpana led this round of investments as Voliro’s “pioneering technology” allows plant inspection and maintenance processes to be carried out more safely, more efficiently and at lower costs than the competition, states Alexander Fries, co-founder of Alpana Ventures. “Furthermore, Voliro’s team members come from the prestigious ETH Zurich with strong experience in robotics and autonomous systems”, he added.
