Drone Volt
- Company typePublic
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Drone Volt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Drone Volt
- Legal name
- Drone Volt S.A.
- Website
- https://dronevolt.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Drone Volt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Drones / Commercial UAVs
- NAICS
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) & Multirotor Drones (IMABAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC), Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Systems & Drone Defense (IMABAIAG), Aerial Application Drones & UAS Spray Systems (AFAAADAB)
Keywords
Where Drone Volt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Drone Volt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of professional UAV platforms including Hercules 20 (heavy lift), KOBRA (inspection/surveillance), LineDrone (power line inspection), and Heliplane LRS (VTOL). Complete drone solutions including accessories, payloads, and spraying systems are sold to enterprise and government customers.
- Drone Services (Drone Volt Expert): Professional drone services including inspection (technical, thermal, confined spaces, power lines), topography (photogrammetry, LiDAR, bathymetry), precision agriculture, cleaning, cable stringing, and de-icing. Provided through a national and European network of certified pilots. Backed by 14 years of experience.
- Training Services (Drone Volt Academy): Professional drone pilot training including theory and practical modules, regulatory compliance, and specialized courses such as photogrammetry. Training centers located in France, Denmark, Canada, Switzerland, and Benelux.
- Engineering Consulting: Custom UAV design and development services including feasibility studies, mechanical/electronic/software design, prototyping, and industrialization for bespoke drone solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Photogrammetry Training (2 days) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hercules 20 Spray Complete Solution |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hercules 20 High-Dra Complete Solution |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Pipeline Monitoring Solutions (Skipper NDT Partnership) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Drone Volt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Drone Volt manufactures, assembles, and distributes professional civilian drones with embedded AI, including the Hercules 20 heavy-lift platform, KOBRA intelligent quadcopter, LineDrone for live high-voltage power line inspection, and Heliplane LRS long-endurance VTOL. The company complements hardware sales with the Drone Volt Expert operator network providing inspection, topography, cleaning, and precision agriculture services, the Drone Volt Academy for professional pilot training, and an engineering consulting arm for custom UAV design.
Product overview
Drone Volt is a French professional drone manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized UAV products organized into core drone platforms and service divisions. The core product line includes the Hercules 20 heavy lift drone (with High-Dra and Spray variants), KOBRA intelligent quadcopter for inspection/surveillance, LineDrone for power line inspection with specialized DLR sensor installation capability, and Heliplane LRS VTOL for long-endurance missions. The company operates through service divisions including Drone Volt Expert (inspection, topography, precision agriculture, and cleaning services), DRONE VOLT Academy (pilot training), and Engineering Consulting (custom UAV development). The product ecosystem is unified by shared platform technologies including EASA C3/C5 certification, proprietary AI-enabled on-board computers, and specialized payloads for energy, construction, security, and agricultural applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hercules 20: Heavy lift drone with up to 15kg payload capacity, C5-certified by EASA, up to 40 minutes flight time
- KOBRA
- Heliplane
- LineDrone
- Hercules 20 Spray
- Hercules 20 High-Dra
Products and services
- Hercules 20
- Hercules 20 High-Dra High-pressure spraying and cleaning system built on the Hercules 20 platform, delivering up to 250 bar pressure for cleaning facades, roofs, wind turbines, and infrastructure de-icing. Features Clean Assist hyperfrequency radar for obstacle detection and remote-controlled automatic roll-up hose.
- Hercules 20 Spray (Low Pressure) Low-pressure spraying UAV for surface treatment, roof and facade cleaning, and precision liquid application. C5 EASA certified, with 10 bar output pressure and 18 L/min liquid spraying capability.
- KOBRA Intelligent professional quadcopter for surveillance, security, and inspection with 5 kg modular payload capacity and up to 55 minutes flight time. Features integrated Nvidia Xavier Nx AI-ready on-board computer, EASA C3 certification, 4G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and AES-128 encrypted data.
- LineDrone Specialized UAV that lands on live high-voltage power lines (120-315 kV) and moves along conductors using a motorized rolling system. Features 8-motor redundant architecture, electromagnetic immunity, and integrates patented LineOhm and LineCore sensors for non-destructive inspection without service interruption.
- LineDrone DLR LineDrone variant for installation of Ampacimon Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) Sense X sensors on live power lines up to 765 kV. Enables sensor deployment without power outage or manual intervention, completing installation in minutes. Compatible with single to quadruple conductor bundles (16-40mm diameter).
- Heliplane LRS Long-endurance VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) drone available in 240, 340, and BELUGA versions. Offers 110-210 minutes flight time and up to 300 km range, designed for photogrammetry and inspection missions with interchangeable RGB, thermal, and LiDAR payloads.
- Drone Volt Expert European network of certified drone operators (Ambassador network) providing standardized drone-based inspection, topography, precision agriculture, and cleaning services under the Drone Volt Expert brand, with rigorous aeronautical procedures.
- Drone Inspection Services Aerial infrastructure inspection services including technical inspection, thermal inspection, confined environment inspection, power line inspection, natural gravity hazard inspection, and gas detection.
- Drone Topography Services Aerial surveying services including photogrammetry, LiDAR survey, and bathymetry for 3D modeling with centimetre accuracy. Deliverables include digital terrain models, orthomosaics, point clouds, and extraction reports.
- Precision Agriculture Services Precision farming services including biocontrol (trichogramma deployment), weed detection using AI, agronomic diagnosis, and crop spraying with site throughput up to 1,500 hectares per day.
- Drone Cleaning Services Aerial spraying services for cleaning roofs, facades, solar panels, wind turbines, and de-icing power lines and infrastructure using high-pressure (up to 250 bar) and low-pressure spraying drones.
- DRONE VOLT Academy Professional drone pilot training with theoretical and practical modules, certification exam preparation, and specialized courses including 2-day photogrammetry training (€1,920 per trainee). Operates 7 training centers across France, Denmark, Canada, Switzerland, and Benelux.
- Engineering Consulting Custom UAV design and development services including feasibility studies, computer-aided mechanical/electronic/software design, prototyping, and industrialization. Also offers payload development, software development, and artificial intelligence integration services for bespoke drone solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero service interruption for power line inspections — LineDrone operates on live lines at 120-315kV, eliminating network operating constraints
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Drone Volt
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Drone Volt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature7 records
Drone Volt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DK UnitycorePartnership signed at Eurosatory 2026 trade show enables Drone Volt to represent and commercialize DK Unity's NS1, NS2, and NS3 interceptor drones in France and French-speaking countries. The agreement targets the rapidly growing anti-drone warfare market driven by increasing drone usage in armed conflicts and critical infrastructure protection. DK Unity's interceptors feature resilient data links, jam-resistant flight computers, and speeds from 180 km/h to 350 km/h, and have been operationally proven with the Ukrainian military. Drone Volt holds exclusive rights for France and French-speaking markets.
- Skipper NDTcoreCollaboration agreement to develop drone-based solutions for smart monitoring of pipelines and critical energy infrastructures. Skipper NDT's non-intrusive technologies and AI capabilities are integrated into Drone Volt's Hercules 20 and Kobra drone platforms. A test bench will be established at Drone Volt's flight site at UTAC in France. The partnership is expected to accelerate Drone Volt's international expansion, particularly in North American and global markets for smart pipeline and infrastructure inspection.
- Hydro-QuébeccoreDevelopment partnership with Canada's largest electricity producer and one of the world's largest hydroelectric producers. Hydro-Québec's research center developed the LineOhm and LineCore sensor technologies integrated into the LineDrone. Hydro-Québec's sensors enable non-destructive inspection of high-voltage power lines while they remain energized, representing a revolution in power line maintenance.
- AmpacimoncoreCollaboration to develop LineDrone DLR for drone-based installation of Ampacimon's Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) Sense X sensors on live power lines up to 765kV. The Sense X sensor monitors temperature, sag, current, and vibration in real-time, supporting predictive maintenance and grid efficiency. Drone-based installation eliminates power outages and significantly reduces installation costs and technician safety risks.
- NucleomcoreNucleom manufactures the LineOhm and LineCore sensors used with the LineDrone. The LineOhm sensor enables non-destructive evaluation of electrical resistance of compression splice sleeves, while the LineCore sensor assesses residual galvanic protection on ACSR conductors. Nucleom also prepares detailed analysis reports from LineDrone inspection data.
- ARDPI AIR AND SECURITYminorIndustrial partnership for an innovative CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) detection solution. Drone Volt's KOBRA drone serves as the platform carrying the AP4C+ chemical sensor for remote detection missions, transmitting data in real time to operators and command systems.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Drone Volt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Delair: French professional drone manufacturer specializing in fixed-wing UAVs for industrial inspection, mapping, and agriculture. Directly comparable to Drone Volt as a French-headquartered enterprise drone OEM serving energy, agriculture, and security buyers.
- Parrot SA: French-listed (Euronext) drone manufacturer with a professional division (senseFly, Anafi) serving mapping, inspection, and defense markets. Comparable as a publicly listed French drone company with overlapping enterprise and government customers.
- Elistair: French tethered drone systems maker focused on persistent aerial surveillance for security and defense customers. Comparable to Drone Volt as a French UAV company targeting security/defense with differentiated hardware.
- YellowScan: French LiDAR and photogrammetry payload specialist for UAVs, serving surveying, forestry, and infrastructure inspection. Comparable to Drone Volt's Inairtech subsidiary and Heliplane VTOL mapping use cases.
- SURVEY Copter (Airbus subsidiary): Airbus-owned French UAV manufacturer producing tactical mini-UAVs for military and security forces. Comparable as a French-headquartered drone OEM targeting defense and security customers, though with deeper defense prime backing.
Broad incumbents
- DJI: Global market leader in commercial and prosumer drones, including the Matrice line that directly competes with Drone Volt's KOBRA and Hercules platforms in enterprise inspection and surveillance.
- Skydio: US autonomous drone manufacturer focused on inspection, public safety, and defense with strong autonomy/AI positioning. Comparable on AI-enabled enterprise drones for inspection and security, with much greater capital backing.
- Autel Robotics: Chinese drone manufacturer with enterprise EVO and Dragonfish lines competing in inspection, mapping, and security segments across Europe. Broad incumbent comparable on product category, though smaller than DJI.
- Thales: European defense and aerospace prime with a growing counter-UAS portfolio and broad drone-adjacent capabilities. Overlaps Drone Volt in security/defense procurement and counter-drone, but as a much larger portfolio player.
Emerging players
- Dedrone: US-headquartered counter-drone detection and mitigation specialist competing for the same European defense and critical-infrastructure buyers that Drone Volt targets via the DK Unity partnership.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Drone Volt social profiles
Digital presenceDrone Volt compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Drone Volt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Drone Volt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Drone Volt subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Drone Volt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Drone Volt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Drone Volt
What does Drone Volt do?
Drone Volt manufactures, assembles, and distributes professional civilian drones with embedded AI, including the Hercules 20 heavy-lift platform, KOBRA intelligent quadcopter, LineDrone for live high-voltage power line inspection, and Heliplane LRS long-endurance VTOL. The company complements hardware sales with the Drone Volt Expert operator network providing inspection, topography, cleaning, and precision agriculture services, the Drone Volt Academy for professional pilot training, and an engineering consulting arm for custom UAV design.
Is Drone Volt a public or private company?
Drone Volt is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Drone Volt founded?
Drone Volt was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Drone Volt based?
Drone Volt is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Drone Volt make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are drone Services (Drone Volt Expert), training Services (Drone Volt Academy) and engineering Consulting.
Who are Drone Volt's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Delair, Parrot SA, Elistair, YellowScan and SURVEY Copter (Airbus subsidiary). Broad incumbents are DJI, Skydio, Autel Robotics and Thales. Dedrone is listed as an emerging player.
Does Drone Volt have an API?
No public API is recorded for Drone Volt.
What industry is Drone Volt in?
Drone Volt's product category is Professional Drones / Commercial UAVs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAA, Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) & Multirotor Drones, with a secondary code of IMABAIAC, VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms. Its NAICS code is 33641 and its SIC code is 3721.