Participated · Series A · Jun 2018

Verity develops self-flying drones and warehouse inventory analytics aimed at automating indoor inventory tasks. Its systems are designed to operate with limited connectivity and avoid collisions, enabling flight to high and hard-to-reach shelves. The company reports deployments in 13 countries and an Ikea partnership that placed 100 drones in 16 European warehouses. Verity added an $11M extension to its Series B, bringing that round to $43M, and says proceeds will fund scaling and go-to-market efforts. The startup has not released detailed deployment metrics publicly, and the drone-inventory sector faces scaling challenges and backlogs of potential clients. Verity positions aerial drones as an alternative to front-of-store shelf scanners and wheeled robots for large warehouse shelves. Verity develops autonomous indoor drones and software that automate inventory counting and tracking for warehouses and stores. Its system leverages small imaging quadcopters to perform around‑the‑clock scans of inventory. IKEA’s Swiss operation has deployed 100 Verity drones across 16 store locations in Belgium, Croatia, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland; clients also include Samsung’s SDS unit and logistics firm DSV. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Zurich. Founder and CEO Raffaello D’Andrea, a co‑founder of Kiva Systems, leads the business. Verity recently closed a $32M Series B, positioning it to expand deployments and support customers pursuing omnichannel retailing and supply‑chain efficiency. Verity develops autonomous indoor drone systems that have been used in large live shows and are being redeployed for warehouse automation. The company has completed over 200,000 fully autonomous flights and supported performances for Céline Dion, Metallica and the China Central Television New Year’s Gala. Verity’s technology has been piloted in warehouses of IKEA and DSV to enable automated inventory checks. In the DSV pilot the drone system saved 50% of the time spent collecting inventory, with DSV estimating savings could reach 80% once fully deployed. To support growth and rollout into the fast‑growing warehouse automation sector, Verity raised a CHF7.5 million convertible loan, with Investiere contributing CHF3.5 million. Named backers also include Kitty Hawk Ventures, Fontinalis and a consortium of international investors.