UVS Avia builds higher-end quadcopter microdrones used to inspect nuclear reactors and waste sites and to perform search-and-rescue in remote areas. Its primary full-weight drone weighs about 1 kilogram, can fly above 100 meters, and has at least one hour of battery life; civilian versions weigh about 100 grams. The drones can be equipped with infrared vision, night vision, or radiation protection for operations over hazardous sites. The company targets government and military customers and sells the drone for about $40,000 (the article attributes the high price in part to local Russian taxes effectively doubling the price). To date UVS Avia has sold "a few dozen" drones and has raised about €3 million in funding from private angels. The team says future work will focus on software — full autonomy, automated charging, and inter-drone communication to enable swarm monitoring — and notes battery improvements could extend flight to as long as five hours.

Total raised

$4M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2013