Flyability

What Flyability does

Flyability SA is a Swiss drone technology company founded in 2014 that designs and manufactures collision-tolerant indoor inspection drones for confined and hazardous spaces where conventional sense-and-avoid drones cannot safely operate. The company's proprietary architecture centers on a patented spherical protective cage combined with collision-tolerant flight control algorithms, enabling the drone to maintain stability after physical contact with obstacles. Its flagship product, the Elios 3 launched in September 2022, is an indoor LiDAR drone with a modular payload system supporting ultrasonic thickness measurement (UT), radiation detection (RAD), LiDAR-based surveying, and flammable gas sensing, complemented by an integrated software ecosystem including Inspector 5, Inspector Online, Flyability Cloud, and an Asset Management digital twin platform.

Flyability sells to enterprise industrial customers across oil and gas, power generation, maritime, mining, nuclear, cement, sewer/water, and manufacturing verticals, with a customer base of approximately 1,000 across 68 countries. The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining a direct enterprise sales team with a global network of 50+ trained resellers in 27 countries and an e-commerce storefront for accessories. Revenue is generated through hardware sales (drones, payloads, accessories), software subscriptions (Inspector, Cloud, Asset Management), and professional services including training, proof-of-concept trials, and support. The company is headquartered in Paudex, Switzerland with offices in Westminster, Colorado; Shanghai, China; and Singapore.

The company has raised approximately $42M+ USD across multiple funding rounds from 2014 to 2023, with investors including SBI Investment, Cargill, Verve Ventures, Future Industry Ventures, ETF Partners, Swisscom Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Dow. Recent strategic priorities have included expanding maritime classification certifications (ClassNK, ABS, RINA, Bureau Veritas), obtaining SOC 2 Type II compliance for cloud services, and broadening the software and payload ecosystem around the Elios 3 platform to deepen customer lock-in across inspection workflows.

Name

Flyability

Legal name

Flyability SA

Website

https://flyability.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Flyability is a Swiss company that designs collision-tolerant indoor inspection drones (Elios platform) for enterprise industrial customers in oil and gas, power, mining, maritime, and nuclear sectors. Approximately 1,000 customers across 68 countries use its caged drones, modular payloads, and software to inspect confined and hazardous spaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Inspection Drones

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft (3721)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy) (HDAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inspection Services (Ground, Aerial/Drone, Helicopter, Climbing) (EUADAJAC), UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)

Keywords

• Confined space inspection
• Indoor inspection drones
• Non-destructive testing
• Collision-tolerant UAVs
• Industrial drone solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Drone Hardware Sales: Sale of Elios drone systems including Elios 1, Elios 2, and Elios 3 platforms along with accessories including batteries, range extenders, and tether power units.
2. Payload Modules: Sale of specialized payloads including UT (ultrasonic thickness), RAD (radiation detection), Surveying, and Gas Sensor modules for the Elios 3 platform.
3. Software Subscriptions: Inspector software and Asset Management cloud-based solutions with subscription licensing for ongoing access and updates.
4. Training Services: Product training, certification programs, and demonstration services for customers and resellers.
5. Support Services: Technical support, maintenance, and repair services through internal team and certified resellers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Flyability designs, manufactures, and sells collision-tolerant indoor inspection drones (Elios 1, Elios 2, Elios 3) for confined space and hazardous environment inspections across oil & gas, power generation, mining, maritime, nuclear, cement, chemicals, sewer, and infrastructure industries. The offering is delivered as an integrated ecosystem comprising the drone platform, modular payloads (UT, RAD, Surveying, Gas Sensor), companion software (Inspector, Flyability Cloud, Asset Management), training, and support services targeting enterprise industrial clients.

Product overview

Flyability offers a comprehensive indoor inspection drone ecosystem centered on the Elios 3 platform with modular payload system. The core product line includes the Elios 3 drone with specialized payloads (UT for ultrasonic testing, RAD for radiation detection, Surveying for LiDAR mapping, and Gas Sensor for flammable gas detection) plus accessories (Tether Power Unit, High-Capacity Battery, Range Extender). The software portfolio includes Inspector 5 and Inspector Online for data processing, Flyability Cloud for collaboration, and Asset Management for multi-flight Digital Twin consolidation. Integration ecosystem includes WinCan (sewer inspection), FARO Connect, GeoSLAM, and Leica Cyclone 3DR (3D processing), plus Pix4D (photogrammetry). Supporting services include Training, Proof of Concept trials, and Care Package support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• JLR reduced factory inspection time by 95% from 4 hours to 10 minutes using Elios 3
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and strategic.

• GeoSLAMsupportingTechnology or Integration · 15 October 2024Integration partnership for LiDAR scanning technology enabling survey-grade 3D model creation with Elios 3.
• FARO TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 19 September 2024Strategic partnership for Elios 3 Surveying Payload integration. FARO provides 3D measurement and imaging technology integrated with Flyability's indoor drone platform for enhanced scanning capabilities.
• Pix4DsupportingTechnology or Integration · 15 August 2024Partnership to accelerate indoor 3D modeling capabilities. Pix4D provides photogrammetry software for processing drone-captured imagery into 3D models.
• ClassNKcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2024Japanese classification society certification for Elios 3 UT payload enabling maritime NDT drone inspections. Innovation Endorsement Certification granted for the product.
• RINAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2024Partnership to design certification standards for maritime drone inspections. RINA is a classification society for maritime and energy industries.
• Mirion TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 16 April 2024Partnership to develop radiation survey meter payload (RAD) for Elios 3. Mirion provides radiation detection technology for nuclear facility inspections.
• ABS (American Bureau of Shipping)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2024Class certification partnership for Elios 3 UT drone for maritime inspections. Enables certified NDT inspections for offshore and maritime assets.
• Bureau VeritascoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Collaboration on UT drone inspections bringing safer inspection solutions to maritime and industrial sectors. Bureau Veritas is a leading classification society.
• WinCancoreTechnology or Integration · 10 October 2023Custom integration partnership for Elios 3 with WinCan sewer inspection software. Provides end-to-end workflow solution for wastewater infrastructure inspection data management.
• Samsung ElectronicsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2023Samsung Electronics and Flyability SA signed MOU for collaboration on drone inspection technology development and deployment.
• Moonrock InsurancesupportingOthers · 1 July 2021Partnership to offer insurance products for Elios drone pilots and operators.
• Sigma EnterprisessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2021Regional distributor partnership for indoor inspection drone solutions.
• MFE EnterprisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Major US territory distributor partner with expanded territory agreement. MFE provides sales, training, and support for Flyability products in North America.
• Exelon AeroLabssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2020Authorized reseller of Flyability Elios products for power generation and energy sector inspections.
• ROBINS ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020European research project partnership to help fill gaps in drone inspection standards and capabilities.
• LafargeHolcimcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Selected as key technology provider for Plants of Tomorrow initiative. Holcim collaborates with Flyability on drone-based inspection technology for cement plants.
• DJIsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2016Partnership to integrate Lightbridge 2 ultra-reliable image transmission system with Elios aircraft for reliable navigation in complex structures and metallic environments.
• Team CERBERUS (DARPA)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Flyability participated in DARPA Subterranean Challenge with Team CERBERUS, winning the competition. The challenge focused on exploring underground environments using autonomous robots.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Azur Drones: French indoor drone maker focused on autonomous security, surveillance, and industrial inspection. Direct comparable to Flyability's Elios platform in confined-space operations.
• Skydio: US autonomous drone maker expanding from public-safety into commercial and industrial inspection. Competes with Flyability in autonomous indoor and confined-space inspection with obstacle-avoidance flight autonomy and a growing enterprise channel.
• Emesent: Australia-based autonomous drone company specializing in GPS-denied LiDAR mapping for mining and infrastructure. Closely comparable to Flyability's Surveying Payload and asset-management use cases in mining and underground inspection.
• Percepto: Industrial inspection and monitoring drone maker (now part of DJI) serving power plants, mining, and oil & gas. Competes with Flyability on autonomous indoor/asset inspections and on AI-driven visual analysis.

Broad incumbents

• DJI: Global commercial drone incumbent whose Matrice and Mavic lines serve industrial inspection broadly. Already an integration partner to Flyability (Lightbridge 2) but a potential direct competitor if it launches a caged/indoor platform at scale.
• Parrot SA: European drone manufacturer with ANAFI commercial inspection and defense offerings. Competes in adjacent commercial drone segments and could move into Flyability's indoor inspection niche.

Emerging players

• Cyberhawk: Drone-based inspection services provider for oil & gas, utilities, and renewables — both a customer/partner and a partial competitor as inspection-as-a-service models proliferate in Flyability's verticals.
• Wingtra: Swiss VTOL drone maker focused on mapping and surveying. Adjacent in LiDAR-based inspection workflows and shares Flyability's Swiss base and enterprise mapping customer overlap.
• senseFly (AgEagle): Fixed-wing mapping drone subsidiary of AgEagle serving surveying, mining, and agriculture. Adjacent to Flyability in LiDAR/photogrammetry-based inspection and asset mapping.
• Microdrones: Commercial drone systems integrator specializing in surveying, mapping, and inspection payloads. Overlaps with Flyability's surveying and inspection verticals, particularly in mining and infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fly_ability
• Facebookfacebook.com/1485605268334980
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flyability
• Instagraminstagram.com/fly_ability

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds13 records

Investors17 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flyability