Airobotics, an Israel-based maker of fully automated industrial drones, has completed a $32.5 million funding round led by BlueRun Ventures China, as well as Microsoft Ventures, OurCrowd.com and another strategic investor.
Airobotics also has funding from existing investors including CRV, BRV, Noam Bardin (CEO of Waze), Richard Wooldridge (former COO/GTM of Building 8 at Facebook and former COO of Google ATAP), and David Roux (co-founder and former chairman of Silver Lake Partners).
Airobotics says it is expanding its hold in industrial facilities such as mine sites, refineries and seaports, as well as oil and gas facilities. Now, with this fundraising, the company is announcing its new division of homeland security and defense, as well as its new “Airobotics Safe Cities” initiative: using fully automated drones to perform emergency applications in cities.
Airobotics has developed a fully automated, end-to-end drone solution used for collecting data and gaining aerial insights. The company says it is the first company in the world to be granted authorization to fly fully automated drones without a pilot, as licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel.
“We continue to execute our vision: taking the human pilot out of the loop and increasing the value drones can create,” says Ran Krauss, CEO and co-founder of Airobotics. “This fundraising enables us to continue to expand within industrial facilities and with our newly launched defense division. Our next stop – automated drones in cities.”
“We are thrilled to lead this round of investment,” adds Jiajie Wu, executive director of BlueRun Ventures China. “Airobotics is a game-changer which has successfully matched revolutionary drone technologies with real industrial needs. In addition to its existing customer base in Western countries, we believe Airobotics will see substantial opportunities in Asia, which is one of the world’s largest industrial markets.”
Mony Hassid, general manager and managing director at Microsoft Ventures for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, adds, “Drones have enormous potential to impact how we live and work – making cities safer, improving response times during emergencies, and creating more efficient industrial facilities. Fully automated drones will be a big step forward for the industry, so we’re excited to support Airobotics’ ambition in this space.”
