Vol 5 - XPONENTIAL unveilings, €40m raise & drones to revolutionize the entertainment industry

After a 1 week hiatus, we are back with the 5th edition of?#DroneZone, a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things drones!

Each week we’ll bring you the latest developments, trends, and insights in the world of drones and UAS. From the newest models and accessories to the most innovative uses of drone technology, we've got you covered.

Over the coming weeks we will cover news on a wide range of applications including –

?? Delivery & Logistics ?? Medical ?? Disaster Relief and Search & Rescue ??Agriculture ?? Surveying & Mapping ?? Inspection ?? Photography & Videography ?? Defence

Whether you're an industry professional, thought leader, drone pilot, a hobbyist, or just interested in the possibilities of this exciting technology, our newsletter will keep you informed and inspired. So sit back, relax, and let us take you on a journey into the exciting world of drones!

Company of the Week

This week's?Company of the Week?goes to? WINGCOPTER following the news that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is investing €40 million in the German unmanned delivery drone technology specialists. This funding will supporting their growth and development in the European market. Their electric drones are currently used in small-scale commercial and humanitarian projects, and they will be testing their new model, Wingcopter 198, in a pilot project in southern Hesse, Germany this summer. The project aims to explore the feasibility of on-demand delivery for groceries and consumer goods.

WINGCOPTER co-founder and CEO Tom Plümmer ?thanked the EIB "for their trust in us and their support as we strive to become a global leader in the drone-based delivery of urgently needed goods, from medical supplies to groceries. Our goal is also to improve lives by creating many jobs — in R&D and manufacturing at our headquarters in Europe, as well as in the countries where we provide services, where we train and qualify local young people to operate our drone delivery networks. It requires strong partners like the EIB to build reliable, efficient and safe delivery drone technology and logistics services.”

Earlier this year the business announced a development partnership with Hamburg-based ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research , in which the duo are developing a sustainable, hydrogen-based propulsion system for WINGCOPTER to further extend the range of their drones.

Socials -?LinkedIn,?Website

Hot Topic

I returned from a fantastic vacation in?Disneyland Paris?with the family last week. And whilst the kids were blown away by the rides, meeting their favorite characters and the fireworks display it was the show before, Disney D-Light, that that had me gripped. Here is a link to the video I took from the show.

???????????? ??-?????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ???? ???????????????? ???? ???????????? with ??????+ ?????????? ???????????????? ???????????? and has ???????? ???? ???? $?????? ???? ????????????. Based on the?Parrot?BeBop 2 quadcopters, they weigh just 550 grams and are fitted with 9 RGBW LEDs. The end product was amazing and gave a glance in to the future of how live shows can elevate to a whole new level using drone technology!

?? Here's a link to a recent article in?Forbes?covering the creative journey Disney went through in creating the show -?https://shorturl.at/qRY48

My question is -

?? “What other applications in the entertainment industry can you see drones being applied to and how impactful will this be to the industry as a whole?”

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!?

The Latest in Drones News

??Last week at the XPONENTIAL 2023 event in Denver (CO) saw a number of new launches and innovations in the Drone and UAS space. One such announcement came from Percepto who confirmed they had received an FAA waiver?to operate beyond visual line of sight close to structures without ground-based systems. With this waiver, the Mondi'in (Israel) headquartered company has defined what it can actually look like to scale true BVLOS UAS operations for inspections and monitoring. Neta Gliksman , VP of Policy and Government Affairs for Percepto stated “This waiver will help usher in a new era of scalable UAS operations that will benefit the critical infrastructure industry immediately, and in the future, in ways we haven’t even yet imagined”.

The "Inspection Automation Case Studies from Four Industry Giants" panel session was later hosted by Chief Commercial Officer & Co-founder Ariel Avitan .

???Also at the XPONENTIAL, Easy Aerial Inc. unveiled their latest sUAS, the Tern. The Tern is a hybrid fixed-wing VTOL drone that offers VTOL capability, long flight times, and versatile payload options. It can perform various missions such as border security patrols, agricultural mapping, and inspections. After takeoff, it autonomously completes its tasks and returns to a ground station for recharging. Its foldable wings and tail allow for safe storage in a compact ground station that fits different vehicle types. The Tern provides a unique solution for aerial operations. This is another exciting step for Ido Gur , Founder & CEO, and the Easy Aerial Inc. team!

??Last week, San Francisco based Zipline released the news that their US Home Drone Delivery Service is expanding following new partnerships with wellness brand GNC in Salt Lake City, Pagliacci Pizza in Seattle, and healthcare logistics provider Associated Couriers, LLC in Long Island. This follows on from news of Zipline 's $330m funding raise, which we covered in Volume 4 of #DroneZone in which Zipline was featured as our Company of the Week - linked here. It's hugely impressive to see the continued positive momentum of Zipline under the leadership of Founder & CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton .

?? starcopter , the Braunschweig (GER) headquartered Drone manufacturer, have raised an undisclosed "seven figure" amount of venture funding from BraWo Capital Group . The company, founded in 2017, designs and manufactures electric-driven UAS that can take higher payloads, have longer flight times, and have more durable batteries, enabling businesses with drones that can be used for heavy-duty tasks.

Henner Niebuhr , Founder & CEO of starcopter was understandably positive with the news and stated that "with the funds provided, we will be able to achieve the set goals on the way to market entry".

?? Vantage Robotics , the manufacturer of drones and UAVs, successfully raised an undisclosed amount of Series A venture funding last week from Refinery Ventures and Veteran Ventures Capital . Co-Founder and CEO Tobin Fisher stated "We're thrilled and honored to be working with the amazing team at?Veteran Ventures Capital?to take?Vantage Robotics?to the next level". The company received the first broad waiver in history from the FAA for commercial drone operations over people with CNN and won Sir Richard Branson's Extreme Tech Challenge.

Vantage Robotics has previously been awarded over?$20m?in R&D contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense and has also been selected by the U.S. Army to develop the?next generation nano drone, competing for the?$100M?Soldier Borne Sensor production contract.

??Portuguese Drone and UAS business, TEKEVER , have been chosen by Aerial Robotix UAV Services Ltd , Nigeria’s leading UAS operator, for environmental monitoring of oil and gas infrastructure in Nigeria. The surveillance-as-a-service solution provider's AR3 drone has been in service since 2022 has a range of up to 85km and has to date more than 500 hours of flight time avross 41,000km.

Of the news, TEKEVER CEO Ricardo Mendes said “It is an exciting time for TEKEVER , as we grow our customer base in the energy sector, and expand our presence in Africa. Our cutting-edge technology provides our clients with real time intelligence over their critical infrastructure and its surroundings. This has already proved to be extremely valuable in identifying potential threats to operations”.

That's all for this week's edition?#DroneZone! We hope you enjoyed reading about the latest trends, news, and insights from the world of drones. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter and follow the hashtag?#DroneZone?to receive all the latest updates ??

?? Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover?

If you're interested in contributing to our next edition or highlighting the work of a business we haven’t covered, please get in touch!

?? As a head-hunter with over a decade in the Drone & UAS space, I partner with leading hardware, software, solutions providers to attract and retain top talent globally. If you're looking to add exceptional talent to your team or seeking new opportunities in the industry please reach out for a confidential conversation.

Until next time, happy flying! ??