Voliro Secures $23M for Autonomous Aerial Inspection Advancement
Tackling Infrastructure’s Corrosion Crisis with Aerial Robotics
From ETH Zurich Innovation to Global Industrial Deployment
€20.7M Roadmap: AI Integration and Autonomous Inspection Evolution
Voliro Secures $23M to Revolutionize Industrial Inspections with Aerial Robotics
In a significant milestone for the robotics and industrial inspection sectors, Switzerland-based startup Voliro has successfully secured $23 million (approximately €19.86 million) in Series A extension funding. This round was led by noa Ventures, a prominent venture capital firm focused on sustainable technologies. Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab, Voliro has rapidly gained traction, now boasting over 40 customers across 17 countries and conducting more than 100 contact inspections monthly.
Accelerating Innovation in Aerial Robotics
The latest funding will enable Voliro to accelerate the development of its next-generation T platform. This cutting-edge technology promises deeper cloud integration with AI-powered inspection reporting, advanced diagnostics, and enhanced autonomy through modular payload systems. As industries seek to modernize their infrastructure maintenance while grappling with workforce shortages, Voliro’s aerial robots are poised for global deployment.
In this extension round, new investment from noa Ventures was complemented by a debt facility from UBS. The original Series A was spearheaded by Cherry Ventures, underlining the strong investor confidence in Voliro’s innovative approach. The company has formed strategic partnerships with leading industrial clients like Chevron, Holcim, and Acuren, showcasing its effectiveness in demanding environments within energy, chemicals, and renewables.
Tackling Infrastructure’s Corrosion Crisis
Voliro’s T platform utilizes a patented tiltable-rotor design and interchangeable sensor payloads to enable intelligent, contact-based inspections of vital infrastructure. This innovative technology significantly improves operational efficiency; for instance, it allows for inspections of wind turbine lightning protection systems to be performed five times faster while delivering instantaneous insights. The potential cost savings are considerable, with reductions up to 50% in inspection costs and the elimination of manual access requirements.
Recent studies highlight a crucial concern: around 30% of major industrial accidents in Europe stem from ageing infrastructure and integrity issues, resulting in corrosion-related failures estimated to cost the global economy a staggering $2.5 trillion annually. The industrial inspection market is facing acute workforce challenges, particularly as two-thirds of certified non-destructive testing (NDT) professionals in the U.S. are over 40 years old. Traditional methods that rely on scaffolding, rope access, and prolonged shutdowns introduce additional risks and limit inspection frequency, creating an urgent demand for automated solutions.
Turning Research into Real-World Impact
Under the leadership of CEO Florian Gutzwiller, Voliro is on a mission to commercialize groundbreaking aerial robotics technology from ETH Zurich. noa Ventures, renowned for backing technologies that promote sustainability and industrial resilience, sees immense potential in Voliro’s solutions. "Infrastructure is the backbone of modern civilization—and maintaining it is one of the great challenges of our time," Gutzwiller explains. He emphasizes that with the support of innovative partners like noa Ventures, Voliro is bringing to life a vision once deemed the stuff of science fiction: autonomous aerial robots leading the charge in industrial intelligence.
Gregory Dewerpe, Founder and Managing Partner at noa, remarked, “Large-scale industrial inspections present a massive opportunity for robotics and automation disruption. We’re excited to partner with Voliro, whose platform holds the potential to transform how critical infrastructure is maintained and safeguarded moving forward.”
A Roadmap for Future Developments
The additional capital from this Series A extension places Voliro in a strong position to advance toward full autonomy in its inspection processes. The company’s open-platform design supports an array of sensor and tool payloads, enabling a single robot to address diverse inspection needs across various industrial scenarios, from flare stacks to storage tanks and wind turbine blades.
As Voliro pushes towards an evolution in autonomous inspection, it stands to offer solutions that not only enhance operational resilience but also tackle climate adaptation and workforce challenges. With such innovations on the horizon, Voliro is indeed contributing to a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future for the global industry.