Voliro has raised $16.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Voliro's investors include Cherry Ventures, La Famiglia, Sequoia Capital, Visionaries Club, Hanno Renner, Johannes Reck, Michael Wax, Torsten Reil, BackBone Ventures.
Voliro is a Zurich-based technology company specializing in aerial robotics for non-destructive testing (NDT) and infrastructure maintenance. Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab, it develops the Voliro T, a patented drone with tiltable rotors that applies stable force (up to 30 N) and torque for contact-based inspections in hard-to-reach areas.[1][3][4][5] Serving industries like oil and gas, chemicals, renewables, infrastructure, and maritime, Voliro solves the problem of unsafe, time-consuming manual inspections at height by enabling faster, safer, and more cost-effective operations—such as 5x quicker wind turbine lightning protection system checks with up to 50% cost reductions.[2][3][5] With 40+ customers across 17 countries (including Chevron, Holcim, Shell, and Petronas), strong partnerships (e.g., Acuren, MISTRAS, TEAM), and 100+ monthly inspections, Voliro raised a $23M Series A extension in June 2025 to scale AI-driven autonomy.[3][4]
Voliro emerged from research at ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab, where a team of visionary engineers developed an omnidirectional flying inspection robot to tackle challenges in inspecting tall structures.[3][4] Incorporated in 2019 with support from Wyss Zurich accelerator (linked to ETH and University of Zurich), the company refined its technology through years of optimization and field tests with early adopters like Shell, Petronas, and Holcim.[4] A pivotal moment came with the 2023 launch of the Voliro T drone, featuring its unique 360° tiltable rotor system for stable contact inspections.[3][4] Commercial traction accelerated via partnerships with leading NDT providers like Acuren, MISTRAS, and TEAM, establishing Voliro as a leader in aerial contact-based NDT.[2][4]
Voliro stands out in the drone inspection market through hardware, software, and ecosystem advantages:
Voliro rides the wave of aging infrastructure modernization amid climate pressures, energy transitions, and labor shortages in high-risk inspections, aligning with the booming industrial drone market (projected for rapid growth in renewables and oil/gas).[1][3] Its timing is ideal: post-2025 funding fuels AI autonomy as regulations evolve for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, while market forces like rising wind energy demand (e.g., turbine maintenance) and methane emission tracking favor contact-capable drones over visual-only competitors like DroneDeploy or Sees.ai.[1][3] Voliro influences the ecosystem by partnering with NDT incumbents, modernizing workflows, and attracting next-gen technicians—driving safer, data-rich maintenance that supports net-zero goals.[2][3]
Voliro is poised to dominate aerial NDT with its Series A extension funding expansion into fully autonomous, AI-enhanced fleets for predictive maintenance.[3] Trends like AI integration, BVLOS approvals, and renewables growth (e.g., offshore wind) will accelerate adoption, potentially tripling its customer base as infrastructure investments surge globally.[3] Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to industry standard-setter, licensing tech or acquiring complementary sensors—ultimately redefining at-height work as robotic-by-default, building on its ETH roots to protect critical assets worldwide.[3][4]
Voliro has raised $16.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $14.0M Series A in October 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2024 | $14.0M Series A | Cherry Ventures, La Famiglia, Sequoia Capital, Visionaries Club, Hanno Renner, Johannes Reck, Michael Wax, Torsten Reil | |
| Sep 1, 2020 | $2.0M Seed | BackBone Ventures |
