What GRIFF Aviation does

Griff Aviation AS, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Sykkylven on Norway's west coast, designs, engineers, and manufactures heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for industrial, logistics, emergency response, and defense applications. Its product portfolio centers on two airframes — the Griff 30 (30 kg payload, four-rotor configuration, ~35-minute flight time) and the Griff 60 (60 kg payload, eight-rotor configuration, ~33-minute flight time) — both built on a modular architecture that supports patented foldable arms achieving 35% size reduction, a removable skid system for uneven terrain, and an Easy Release System for fast single-cell battery swapping. The offering is complemented by in-house payload accessories (Griff Eye tilt camera with 10x optical zoom; Griff Claw wireless quick-release cargo hook) and a tethered variant (Griff G60 Tether) that set a world record for heaviest lift by a tethered UAV in late 2023.

The company runs a quote-based, direct enterprise sales model with no public pricing, reflecting high-value, consultative transactions typical of mission-critical industrial hardware. Customers are organized primarily around two use cases — Logistics & Industry and Emergency Response & Defense — across a claimed footprint of 35 countries, with sales generated through direct inquiry, industry exhibitions such as XPONENTIAL USA, and post-2026 autonomous-flight capability enabled via a partnership with Near Earth Autonomy. All design and production are performed in Norway under a sovereign supply chain, and the company has accumulated ISO 9001 (Oct 2022), ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 (both Nov 2023) certifications.

Griff Aviation is privately held; the principal disclosed investor is Ronja Capital, with industrial backers including Hatteland. The most recent disclosed venture funding event is a ~$4.77M round from Ronja Capital in April 2021. As of August 2024, the company is led by CEO Thomas Klungsøyr (formerly Investment Director at Abler Nordic), with engineering heritage preserved under CTO Svein Even Blakstad and Chairman Tore Tønseth. The company remains an early-commercial-stage aerospace manufacturer building toward international scale.

Name

GRIFF Aviation

Legal name

Griff Aviation AS

Website

https://griffaviation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Griff Aviation, founded in 2015 in Sykkylven, Norway, designs and manufactures heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles — the Griff 30 (30 kg payload) and Griff 60 (60 kg payload) — serving logistics, industrial, emergency response, and defense customers across 35 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Heavy-Lift UAVs / Industrial Drones

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) & Multirotor Drones (IMABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC)

Keywords

• Heavy-lift UAVs
• Unmanned aerial systems
• Industrial cargo drones
• Commercial drone manufacturing
• Autonomous aerial platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Tornes I Romsdal

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy-Lift UAV Platforms: Sale of heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles (Griff 30, Griff 60) with varying payload capacities. Products are precision-built in Norway for demanding operational environments.
2. Modular Payloads and Accessories: Sale of proprietary payloads including Griff Eye camera and Griff Claw cargo hook. Modular architecture supports endless payload integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GRIFF Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures heavy-lift unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) precision-built in Norway for industrial, logistics, defense, and emergency response customers. Its core offerings are the Griff 30 (30 kg payload) and Griff 60 (60 kg payload) modular UAV platforms, complemented by proprietary payloads including the Griff Eye camera and Griff Claw cargo hook, with a tethered G60 variant for sustained operations.

Product overview

GRIFF Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures heavy-lift unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) precision-built in Norway. The product portfolio centers on two core heavy-lift UAV platforms: the Griff 30 (30 kg payload, 4x rotors, 35-min flight time) and Griff 60 (60 kg payload, 8x rotors, 33-min flight time), both built on a modular architecture supporting rapid payload integration. These platforms share key features including foldable arms, removable skid systems, and the Easy Release System for fast battery swapping. The offering is complemented by in-house payload solutions—Griff Eye (tilt camera with 10x optical zoom) and Griff Claw (wireless quick-release cargo hook)—which extend mission capability across logistics, defense, and emergency response operations. A tethered variant (G60 Tether) was also developed, achieving a world record for heaviest lift by a tethered UAV.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Griff 30 A versatile heavy-lift UAV designed for adaptability with 30 kg payload capacity, rapid payload integration, and a flexible architecture built to meet diverse mission requirements across industries and environments.
• Griff 60 Heavy-lift UAV engineered for larger missions, delivering up to 60 kg payload capacity, eight-rotor configuration, 33-minute flight time, and modular architecture for seamless payload integration in demanding operational conditions.
• Griff Eye High-end 120° tilt camera payload with 10x optical zoom, day/night capability, and enhanced stabilization, providing aerial visibility and mission awareness in all conditions when integrated with GRIFF UAV platforms.
• Griff Claw Wireless quick-release cargo hook payload with integrated load cell and manual lockout, engineered to meet international UAV safety standards for safe, precise payload handling on GRIFF UAV platforms.
• Griff G60 Tether Tethered variant of the Griff 60 with 150 kg maximum take-off weight, 60 kg payload capacity, 100 meter altitude capability, operations in winds up to 15 m/s, and backup batteries for safe landing on power failure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 kg payload capacity with ~14 minutes endurance under optimal conditions
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Near Earth AutonomycoreTechnology or Integration · 12 May 2026Griff Aviation will display the Griff 60 integrated with Near Earth Autonomy's Firefly system at XPONENTIAL USA 2026. Firefly is a compact autonomy solution designed to support safe and reliable autonomous flight in complex operational environments and confined-area operations. The partnership enables Griff platforms to offer autonomous flight capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Freefly Systems: Freefly Systems manufactures the Alta X and other heavy-lift cinema/industrial drones (up to ~15-35 kg payload). It is the closest direct competitor to Griff Aviation in the Western heavy-lift multirotor category, serving similar logistics, cinematography, and industrial inspection use cases with US-based engineering and a comparable modular payload philosophy.
• JOUAV: JOUAV is a Chinese heavy-lift and long-endurance UAV manufacturer (e.g., CW-30, CW-80) targeting surveying, mapping, logistics, and defense. It is comparable to Griff in product category (industrial multirotor UAVs), customer base (logistics and government), and global distribution model, though at a larger scale.
• Wingcopter: Wingcopter builds delivery-focused fixed-wing/tilt-rotor UAVs for medical logistics, e-commerce, and last-mile cargo in Europe and Africa. It is comparable to Griff Aviation as a European-headquartered industrial drone maker pursuing cargo/logistics use cases with regulated, certified platforms and a similar enterprise sales motion.
• Watts Innovations: Watts Innovations specializes in heavy-lift multirotor UAVs (PRISM SkyScout) used for public safety and utility inspection. It directly overlaps Griff Aviation in multirotor heavy-lift form factor, target customer profile (emergency response, utilities, defense), and manual-to-autonomous transition strategy.
• Harris Aerial: Harris Aerial produces heavy-lift drones (Carrier H6/H8) for utility inspection, surveying, and payload integration. It matches Griff Aviation in heavy-lift (60+ kg) multirotor platforms, modular payload architecture, and US/global industrial customer focus.
• Sabrewing Aviation: Sabrewing Aviation is developing heavy-lift cargo UAVs (e.g., Rhaegal) for defense and logistics customers. It competes with Griff Aviation in the heavy-lift cargo UAV category for defense/logistics tenders, though focused on fixed-wing rather than multirotor configurations.
• Elroy Air: Elroy Air designs autonomous heavy-lift cargo drones (Chaparral) for middle-mile logistics and defense resupply. It is comparable to Griff Aviation in target markets (logistics + defense), heavy payload category, and pursuit of autonomous flight for cargo missions.
• Yuneec International: Yuneec is a China-based drone manufacturer offering commercial and prosumer multirotor platforms including heavy-payload industrial variants (e.g., H520). It overlaps with Griff Aviation in commercial/industrial multirotor category and a similar payload+platform GTM motion.

Broad incumbents

• DJI: DJI is the dominant global drone manufacturer spanning consumer, commercial, and enterprise segments. While it does not primarily focus on the 30-60 kg heavy-lift niche Griff occupies, DJI's Matrice series and FlyCart 30 compete in adjacent payload classes and set industry pricing baselines.

Emerging players

• EHang: EHang is a Chinese eVTOL/autonomous passenger and cargo aircraft company pursuing heavy-payload autonomous flight. It overlaps with Griff Aviation at the high end of autonomous heavy-lift/multirotor aviation, though EHang is focused on passenger eVTOL rather than cargo logistics and defense.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/griffaviation
• Facebookfacebook.com/griffaviation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/griff-aviation-as
• Instagraminstagram.com/griffaviation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 GRIFF Aviation