F
Flyability
A collision-tolerant drone with a LiDAR sensor that makes 3D maps in real time
About Flyability
Founded in 2014 as a spin-off from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Flyability SA develops and manufactures drones for inspecting inaccessible and hazardous indoor environments. The company was founded by Patrick Thévoz (CEO) and Dr. Adrien Briod (CTO). The co-founders met while studying robotics at EPFL, and the inspiration for the company arose from events like the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which highlighted the need for robots to enter dangerous spaces to gather data and keep humans safe. Dr. Briod's PhD research, which included work at Harvard University, focused on novel methods for stabilizing drones in cluttered spaces, inspired by the flight of insects. This research became the technological foundation for Flyability's signature collision-tolerant drones.
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Flyability's core business revolves around the sale of its advanced drone systems and proprietary software to industrial clients. The company targets sectors such as power generation, oil and gas, mining, chemicals, maritime, and wastewater infrastructure. Its primary product line is the Elios series of drones, which are protected by a pioneering cage, allowing them to collide with objects and continue flying, making them ideal for complex, GPS-denied environments. The flagship Elios 3 drone integrates LiDAR technology and computer vision to create real-time 3D maps of assets as it flies, enabling precise locational awareness and detailed data collection. The drone platform is modular, supporting various payloads like ultrasonic thickness gauges and radiation sensors. This technology allows clients to significantly reduce inspection costs, decrease asset downtime from days to hours, and eliminate the need for dangerous human entry into confined spaces.
Headquartered in Paudex, Switzerland, Flyability has expanded its global presence with offices in Denver, Shanghai, and Singapore. The company serves over 1,450 clients in more than 60 countries. It has raised a total of $39.2 million over nine funding rounds, with its latest Series C round in September 2022. Key investors include ETF Partners, Swisscom Ventures, and Dow.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- Lausanne, Switzerland
- Employees
- 146
- Open positions
- 8
- Dealroom signal
- 83.0/100
- Sector
- Aviation, Aerospace, Testing, Verification, Risk Management, Remote Monitoring, Aerial Photography, Industrial Robotics, Drones, Spinout, Aviation and Aerospace
- Technology
- Deep Tech, Connected Device
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b
Latest news
Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning Flyability.
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERIES C✓Equity / VC | Mar 2023 | — | — | Chevron Technology Ventures | ↗ |
| SERIES C✓Equity / VC | Sep 2022 | $17M | $68M | Cargill Ventures | ↗ |
Financials
Revenue, earnings and other financial measures where available. Years marked “E” are estimates.
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for Flyability is 99K monthly website visits, up 15.1% over the last three months. Flyability's team grew 8.1% over the past year.
Open positions
Similar companies
Company identity and context are open; selected comparison metrics preview what is available on the platform.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed5 investors entered at this stage
Venture Kick
GoBeyond
Bettina Buechel
Fondation FIT
MKS Alternative Investments
Series A3 investors entered at this stage
ETF Partners
Swisscom Ventures
Dow
Series B and later4 investors entered at this stage
Future Industry Ventures
Redstone
Cargill Ventures
Chevron Technology Ventures
Other known investors6 additional known investors
EPFL Swiss Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne
Plug and Play
Startup Autobahn
Technology fund
VentureLab
Verve Ventures
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about Flyability on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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