Dronus closes a 15 million round led by Algebris Investments

Dronus closes a EUR 15 million round to enhance NEST, its patented drone-in-a-box technology: an airbase, the heart and mind of the system, that enables remotely manageable operational networks and automates drone take-off, landing and battery charging. The operation was led as lead investor by the Irish-registered company Algebris Investments, together with the participation of Azimut Eltif Venture Capital, Cdp Venture Capital, Simest (through F.394/81, managed on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), as well as a follow-on investment by Eni Next, Eni's corporate venture capital.

"We are proud to lead this round at Dronus. The combination of patented technology, 24/7 operation also in BVLOS scenarios and the evolution of the platform towards increasingly advanced artificial intelligence capabilities can bring concrete benefits to the monitoring of critical infrastructures - from energy to telecommunications - and enable new services in Smart Cities. With this investment we will support the team in accelerating the technology roadmap and consolidating growth in key markets," says Stefano Ferrari, partner at Algebris.

The operation of the innovative SME, active in the development of remotely piloted aerial systems for security, inspection and monitoring, aims to support the completion of the development and strengthening of Dronus technology, consolidating its vision of Nest-based operational network infrastructure and its market positioning.

"The investment in Dronus represents a strategic choice for us at the heart of Italian Deep Tech innovation. We decided to support this operation convinced that the integration between artificial intelligence and autonomous flight systems is the key to revolutionising the security and monitoring of critical infrastructures. Dronus offers not only technology, but a complete and scalable solution that concretely meets the efficiency and sustainability needs of modern industry. The team has demonstrated capability and resilience. We are excited to support the team on their path of international expansion,' says Guido Bocchio, Head of Venture Capital at Azimut Libera Impresa Sgr.

Founded in 2018 by Marco Ballerini, an aerospace engineer with more than 20 years' experience in technology design and development and a well-established track record as an entrepreneur, Dronus was established with the aim of developing integrated technology solutions for the acquisition, management and processing of data and images remotely, in real time, contributing to security and social welfare, while fully respecting people's privacy. The company, which specialises in the design and production of remotely piloted aerial systems for industrial use, is based in Trieste and has a multidisciplinary team of over 30 people, and has formed partnerships with Eni and Qualcomm. Among ongoing projects, a video monitoring initiative with HTX (Home Team Science and Technology Agency) is active in Singapore. In the logistics field, Dronus has also started a trial at the Ericsson 5G Smart Factory in the United States.