Verified Events
DateTypeCompanyHeadlineSegment
JEDSY, Shinkong Synthetic Fibers and Earthbook plan Taiwan drone joint venture
- JEDSY plans to move drone production from Switzerland to Taiwan while retaining Swiss R&D and design work.
- The venture is planned to cover localisation, manufacturing, validation, sales and services at Shinkong InnovHUB.
- The MOU leaves ownership and investment terms for a subsequent definitive agreement.
Dufour Aerospace demonstrates 20 kg payload over 200 km
- The aircraft carried a 20 kg payload over a 200 km mission profile.
- The test exercised Dufour's tilt-wing platform in a logistics-relevant payload and range configuration.
- The milestone advances the company's commercial long-range cargo programme.
Dufour and Volatus complete remote Aero-30 flight from operations control centre
- Dufour Aerospace integrated its platform into the Volatus Operations Control Centre in Canada to support remote flight operations.
- Volatus conducted the first remotely operated flight from the control centre using the Aero-30 platform.
- The test advanced Dufour and Volatus work on scalable BVLOS operations and runway-independent logistics.
ANA Holdings and Wingtra sign MoU for drone surveying and inspection in Japan
- ANA Holdings and Wingtra signed an MoU to evaluate wide-area drone surveying and inspection services in Japan.
- The agreement uses WingtraRAY for infrastructure inspection and disaster damage assessment.
- The collaboration provides a commercial deployment pathway for Wingtra's survey-grade VTOL drone in Japan.
FireDrone tests new 200°C-capable generation
- Empa detailed the new FireDrone generation on January 26, 2026.
- A cast polyimide-aerogel shell and internal thermal management protect cameras, sensors and electronics at temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius.
- The spinout reported repeated tests at the Andelfingen fire-training center and Holcim's Siggenthal cement plant.
SwissDrones SDO 50 completes 550 km BVLOS pipeline inspection
- SwissDrones partner Xplorate used the SDO 50 UAV for a 550 km BVLOS pipeline inspection in Queensland.
- The mission covered regional Queensland oil-and-gas infrastructure.
- SwissDrones described the operation as a benchmark for long-range BVLOS industrial inspection.
Wingtra partners with Impianti to expand aerial insight technology in Italy
- Wingtra partnered with Impianti as a distributor serving the Italian market.
- The partnership expands Wingtra's aerial survey and mapping channel in Italy.
- The event supports Wingtra's commercialization of survey-grade VTOL mapping drones through local enterprise distribution.
Wingtra launches WingtraRAY survey drone
- Wingtra launched WingtraRAY as a next-generation drone built for surveyors.
- Wingtra said the product would be available in selected countries starting July 10, 2025, with global rollout to follow in October 2025.
- The launch gives Wingtra a clean mapping-drone product milestone under the new drone taxonomy.
FireDrone receives CHF150K InnoBooster award
- The Gebert Rüf Foundation approved the award on July 2, 2025.
- The CHF150,000 project runs from September 2025 through December 2026.
- Funding supports pilot deployments with fire brigades and industrial partners and the transition into a Swiss spinout.
Dufour completes Aero2 hybrid-electric transition flight campaign
- Dufour Aerospace completed a flight-test campaign with an in-house hybrid-electric system for the Aero2 drone.
- The aircraft flew vertical takeoff, forward flight and return transition using the hybrid system.
- The milestone advanced Dufour's tilt-wing cargo drone toward longer-range uncrewed logistics missions.
FireDrone founder receives Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship
- Empa announced the 2024 Entrepreneur Fellowship cohort on October 15, 2024.
- The program backed David Häusermann's effort to transfer the heat-resistant drone from research into a spinout.
- Empa cited a real-fire prototype test and the system's ability to help emergency teams assess dangerous areas remotely.
SwissDrones closes over $10M Series B growth round
- SwissDrones closed more than $10 million in Series B equity growth funding.
- DiamondStream Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures and Ingleside Investors participated in the round.
- The financing supported aerial intelligence systems for defense, inspection and public-safety applications.
Saab acquires remaining UMS SKELDAR shares
- Saab disclosed the completed transaction with its first-quarter results on April 26, 2024.
- The parent acquired the remaining UMS SKELDAR shares for what it described as a minor consideration.
- The transaction converted the former joint venture into a wholly owned Saab subsidiary.
Fotokite secures CHF10M Series B for public-safety tethered drones
- Fotokite secured about CHF10 million in Series B funding for tethered drones used by firefighting and public-safety teams.
- The round supported R&D, global expansion and operating growth.
- Fotokite positioned the financing around public-safety adoption of its tethered UAV systems.
V-200 sonobuoy capability debuts at DSEI
- The companies unveiled the integrated solution at DSEI on September 12, 2023.
- The V-200 carries and dispenses sonobuoys while Ultra technology processes the acoustic data.
- The demonstration showed how an unmanned helicopter can extend maritime surveillance beyond a ship sensor horizon.
Empa validates heat-resistant FireDrone prototype
- Empa published the FireDrone research milestone on June 26, 2023.
- The prototype enclosed batteries, sensors and electronics in glass-fiber-reinforced aerogel insulation for high-temperature flight.
- Researchers tested the aircraft in a gas fire and positioned camera and carbon-dioxide sensing as inputs for safer firefighting decisions.
Wingtra lands $22 million funding round for commercial drone expansion
- Wingtra announced a $22 million funding round to support its commercial drone business.
- The company framed the financing around growth for its professional drone surveying platform.
- The round strengthened Wingtra's position in the commercial mapping-drone market.
SwissDrones secures seven-figure growth funding
- The round supported long-range uncrewed helicopter systems for inspection, surveillance and public safety.
- Existing investors also participated in the financing.
UMS SKELDAR and Ultra win Canadian ASW phase
- The partners announced the IDEaS Phase 2 award on October 21, 2022.
- The work adapts the V-200 to deploy sonobuoys for detecting and tracking submarines.
- The program evaluates rotary-wing unmanned aircraft as an extended anti-submarine sensor for the Royal Canadian Navy.
ECA orders ten V-200 systems for mine warfare
- Janes reported the ECA award on July 9, 2020.
- The contract covers ten V-200 systems, with deliveries scheduled from 2023 for Belgian and Dutch naval toolboxes.
- Each aircraft was planned to operate alongside Inspector 125 surface vessels, A18-M underwater vehicles and mine-disposal systems.
UMS SKELDAR launches V-150 VTOL platform
- UMS SKELDAR introduced the V-150 at UMEX on February 23, 2020.
- The platform extended the portfolio below the V-200 for defence, civil-security and commercial missions.
- Its modular design was positioned for multiple payloads and operations from constrained sites.
QinetiQ team wins Canadian V-200 contract
- QinetiQ announced the Canadian unmanned-aircraft contract on May 10, 2019.
- The C$51 million program covers V-200 provision and operation for the Royal Canadian Navy and special operations forces.
- The award established a Canadian maritime operating program for the rotary-wing unmanned aircraft.
Saab and UMS Aero form UMS SKELDAR
- Saab and UMS Aero Group announced UMS SKELDAR AG on December 21, 2015.
- Saab initially held 47% while both companies transferred unmanned-aircraft assets into the venture.
- The new company combined development, manufacture, testing, training, maintenance and support for the SKELDAR platform.