French electric utility company GDF SUEZ has announced an investment in Redbird, a France-based provider of civilian drone-acquired data.
GDF SUEZ New Ventures, GDF Suez's corporate venture capital subsidiary, invested EUR 2 million. According to Gérard Mestrallet, chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ, the investment “will give Redbird opportunities to accelerate the development of innovative offers in many promising areas of value for the group, such as very high-resolution photogrammetry or preventive maintenance of large structures.”
For GDF SUEZ, this investment is part of its ongoing support for the emergence of digital technologies, including automated analyses of very large quantities of technical data.
“We are very pleased to have with us a leading industrial player such as GDF SUEZ. Since 2013, we are deeply convinced of the value of civilian drones for infrastructure networks, and this choice is relevant today,” says Emmanuel de Maistre, president of Redbird.
“Despite technical and regulatory complexities, it is one of the most promising sectors. This exceptional support will enable us to develop ever more powerful drone solutions and grow internationally.”
