Zurich-based startup Voliro, which develops autonomous aerial robots for the safe and efficient inspection and maintenance of critical industrial infrastructure, has secured $23 million in a Series A extension funding round led by Cherry Ventures.
- Founded in 2019, Voliro develops aerial robots for industrial inspection and maintenance. Its core product, the Voliro T, uses a patented tiltable rotor system to make stable contact with complex surfaces, enabling non-destructive testing in areas conventional drones can't reach.
- With 360-degree mobility and precise control independent of flight direction, the system can inspect curved and sloped structures like storage tanks, flare stacks, kilns, powerlines, and wind turbines.
- Targeting sectors such as energy, chemicals, and renewables, Voliro supports proactive maintenance by enabling faster, safer inspections.
- The platform performs lightning protection system checks on wind turbines up to five times faster than traditional methods, reducing both downtime and cost, without requiring manual access.
"Voliro’s technology directly addresses a trifecta of global needs: improving industrial resilience and safety, enabling the climate adaptation and energy transition by better maintaining assets like wind farms, and alleviating severe workforce shortages in the inspection field. Our technology represents a necessary tool to protect the built environment that we all rely on," claims Florian Gutzwiller, CEO of Voliro.
- Voliro serves over 40 customers across 17 countries, including Chevron, Holcim, and Acuren, and performs more than 100 contact inspections monthly.
Details of the deal
- The investemnt was led by Cherry Ventures, a Berlin-based VC firm backing European tech founders tackling major challenges. The firm recently raised $500 million for its fifth fund, aiming to help build Europe’s first trillion-dollar company.
- Voliro’s Series A extension also included new participation from noa and a debt facility provided by UBS.
”We’re delighted to partner with Voliro, a breakthrough platform with the potential to transform how critical infrastructure is maintained and safeguarded in the decades to come, and our first investment in my home country of Switzerland,” said Gregory Dewerpe, founder and Managing Partner at noa.
- The fresh capital will accelerate the development of Voliro’s next-gen platform, advancing full autonomy, AI-driven diagnostics, and modular payloads. The company also aims to scale global operations and expand into more industrial sectors.
