Mine Kafon

What Mine Kafon does

Mine Kafon is a privately held Dutch humanitarian technology company, headquartered in Maastricht and operated through its legal entity Hassani Design BV. Founded by Dutch-Afghan brothers Massoud and Mahmud Hassani, the company designs and sells the Mine Kafon Drone (MKD) System — an unmanned airborne detection platform for humanitarian demining and mapping of explosive remnants of war (ERW) and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The system executes a three-step workflow: aerial mapping via the MK Destiny ISR drone, ground-level detection via the MK Manta heavy-lift drone carrying the custom MK Multi-Sensor payload (multi-sensor fusion with AI-driven data stitching, GPS/RTK accuracy of 4cm and ground penetration up to 3 metres), and remote detonation of identified hazards, with three interchangeable robotic add-ons (Rope Robot, Delta Robot, Gripper Robot) for varied terrain. The original Mine Kafon Ball — a wind-powered detonation device — is held in MoMA's permanent collection.

The company addresses a global market spanning more than 60 landmine-affected countries, targeting governments, humanitarian demining organizations (including UNMAS, DMAC, and HALO Trust as named prospect segments), demining product resellers, and — with its robotic extensions — emergency responders. Geographically, Mine Kafon concentrates commercial activity toward the MENA region with field trials and demonstrations underway, while maintaining European institutional ties through NRL certification, GICHD participation, and partners such as NRL, PwC Netherlands, Maastricht University, and Droneport.

Mine Kafon's revenue mechanics are hardware-led but at a pre-commercial stage. As of early 2020 the company transitioned from R&D to go-to-market, opening dedicated sales channels ([email protected], [email protected]) and an investment inquiry line ([email protected]). Revenue streams combine drone hardware sales (single-unit in-house build, with OEM outsourcing for orders over 30 units), product leasing to exhibitors and museums, presentations and lectures, and planned merchandise. The company also pursued a 3D-printable MK Emergency Mask as a COVID-19-era sideline and has signaled expansion into agricultural and forestry sensing applications. To date, the company has been financed through Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 1 (European Commission), regional grants from LIOF and Limburg Makers, support from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a 2016 Kickstarter campaign, and integration partnerships with German and Swedish OEM sensor developers; no equity venture capital rounds have been disclosed.

Name

Mine Kafon

Legal name

Hassani Design BV

Website

https://minekafon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mine Kafon is a Maastricht-based Dutch humanitarian technology company that develops and sells the MKD System — a drone-based airborne detection and demining platform — to governments, humanitarian NGOs, and demining product resellers in landmine-affected regions including MENA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Demining Drone Systems

NAICS

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

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO), Mine Action & Explosive Ordnance Risk Reduction (EOD/ERW) (BPADAFAH)

Keywords

• Humanitarian demining drones
• Airborne detection systems
• Unmanned aerial mapping
• UXO clearance technology
• Drone robotics platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Maastricht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Drone Hardware Sales: Sale of MKD System including MK Destiny, MK Manta drones, ground station, and robotic add-ons. Both drones ready for production. Single drone takes one day to produce in-house. Orders larger than 30 units require outsourcing to OEM partners.
2. Product Leasing: Earned funds from leasing products for exhibitions or museum galleries.
3. Presentations and Lectures: Revenue from giving presentations and lectures around the world.
4. Merchandise Sales: Intention to make Mine Kafon merchandise available for orders.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Mine Kafon develops and manufactures the Mine Kafon Drone (MKD) System, an airborne detection and demining platform that uses the MK Destiny mapping drone and the MK Manta detection drone, along with a multi-sensor payload and interchangeable robotic add-ons, to map, detect, and neutralize landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from a safe distance. The system operates through a three-step autonomous process: aerial surveying and mapping, multi-sensor ground-penetrating detection, and detonation of identified explosives.

Product overview

Mine Kafon is a Dutch humanitarian technology company based in Maastricht that develops the Mine Kafon Drone (MKD) System - an innovative airborne detection and demining solution. The system comprises the MK Destiny surveillance/mapping drone, MK Manta cargo/detection drone, MK Ground Station command centre, and MK Multi-Sensor payload. Three robotic add-ons (MK Rope Robot, MK Delta Robot, MK Gripper Robot) extend the Manta's capabilities for various terrains. The original Mine Kafon Ball serves as an awareness product. The company also developed the MK Emergency Mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MKD system offers a three-step automated process for mapping, detecting, and destroying landmines - stated to be 20 times faster and 200 times cheaper than traditional demining methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MK Manta: Cargo drone platform for detection, safety and security, terrain analysis, and cargo delivery operations. Features eight motors, 30-inch propellers, and robotic add-on capabilities.
• MK Destiny
• MK Robotics
• MK Multi-Sensor
• MK Ground Station
• Mine Kafon Ball

Products and services

• Mine Kafon Drone (MKD) System An unmanned airborne detection and demining system combining aerial mapping and ground-penetrating sensors to identify, map, and detonate landmines and unexploded ordnance from a safe distance. The system uses a three-step process: mapping with the MK Destiny drone, detection with the MK Manta drone equipped with multi-sensor payload, and autonomous detonation of detected explosives.
• MK Destiny An intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) commercial drone platform equipped with a high-resolution zooming and mapping camera on a three-axis gimbal. The Destiny drone performs aerial surveys, creates 3D maps of hazardous areas, and identifies dangerous regions for follow-up detection operations. Certified by the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NRL) with a PH number for international airspace radar tracking. Features X8 motor configuration with RTK positioning, carbon fiber body, autopilot function, Full HD live stream up to 3 km, 35-minute flight time, and 2.5 kg max payload.
• MK Manta

Named customers1 record

Segments4 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 capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• GICHD (Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs humanitarian demining is a top goal, Mine Kafon is proud to be part of GICHD's annual workshops on mine action. Presented at 7th Mine Action Technology Workshop in Basel, Switzerland in November 2019.
• Municipality MaastrichtsupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal administration has provided continuous assistance and enthusiastic support for the Mine Kafon cause.
• Fontys HogescholensupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith campuses all around southern Netherlands, Fontys has repeatedly supplied Mine Kafon with excellent engineers for their multidisciplinary team.
• Maastricht UniversitysupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with a local university that continuously tops world rankings provides great help in development efforts.
• DroneportsupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerImportant partner situated nearby. Droneport is the place Mine Kafon hosts most of their regional product demonstrations.
• UltimakercoreTechnology or IntegrationTop quality 3D printers from Ultimaker have been running almost non-stop for years. Mine Kafon drones wouldn't be the same without them.
• IUT NancysupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench university partnered with Mine Kafon for international collaboration on development of key components.
• PwC NetherlandssupportiveImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal PwC branch provides quality legal advice as well as growth and direction for the Mine Kafon Foundation.
• Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NRL)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvided certification for MK Destiny drone. Long and complex certification process including intensive checks on cable connections, propeller strength, software functioning, and assembly characteristics. Certified with PH number for international airspace radar tracking.
• OEM Sensor Partners (Germany and Sweden)coreTechnology or IntegrationMost OEM partners are from Germany and Sweden developing multiple types of top-quality sensors with excellent detection techniques. Mine Kafon co-develops sensors with these partners, each costing several tens of thousands of Euros.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• senseFly: Swiss-based manufacturer of professional fixed-wing mapping drones (a Parrot company). Direct peer because Mine Kafon's MK Destiny mapping drone competes for the same aerial surveying and mapping use cases, including humanitarian and environmental mapping workflows.
• Quantum Systems: German manufacturer of professional VTOL drones used for surveying, mapping, and reconnaissance, including security and defense applications. Direct peer because both companies serve the professional survey/mapping drone segment with carbon-fiber airframes and RTK-grade positioning targeted at commercial and government buyers.
• Delair: French professional drone maker specializing in fixed-wing and VTOL platforms for surveying, security, and defense applications. Direct peer because both companies combine long-endurance mapping airframes with sensor payloads for industrial and governmental end users, including cross-border humanitarian and security missions.
• Emesent: Australia-based developer of drone-mounted LiDAR mapping and autonomy software for GPS-denied and challenging environments. Direct peer because Emesent's autonomy and data-fusion stack (Hovermap) parallels Mine Kafon's AI sensor-fusion mission management layer used to interpret complex, hazardous terrain data.
• APOPO: Belgian/Tanzanian humanitarian NGO that uses trained detection rats to find landmines and TB. Direct peer because APOPO operates in the same humanitarian demining value chain as Mine Kafon, addressing the same end customers (UNMAS, national mine action centers) and competing for the same detection-and-clearance budget pools.
• Clearpath Robotics: Canadian manufacturer of autonomous unmanned ground and aerial vehicles for research, mining, and harsh-environment applications (now a Rockwell Automation company). Direct peer because Clearpath's rugged autonomous platforms target the same unmanned-systems-for-hazardous-environments market segment as Mine Kafon's MKD drones and robotic add-ons.

Broad incumbents

• DJI Enterprise: Enterprise arm of the world's largest commercial drone manufacturer, offering a broad portfolio of surveying, mapping, and ISR platforms used across public safety, agriculture, and infrastructure. Broad incumbent because DJI covers Mine Kafon's mapping and surveillance use cases as part of a much wider product portfolio rather than specializing in demining.
• Parrot SA: French drone manufacturer (parent of senseFly) serving consumer, commercial, and defense markets with micro-UAVs and professional platforms. Broad incumbent because Parrot offers aerial reconnaissance capabilities that overlap with the MK Destiny ISR drone within a far broader consumer-and-enterprise portfolio.
• Skydio: US-based autonomous drone maker focused on inspection, public safety, and defense applications with strong on-board autonomy. Broad incumbent because Skydio's autonomous flight and obstacle-avoidance stack parallels MK Destiny's autopilot/GPS-RTK guidance, but at far broader scale and across many more verticals.
• Teledyne FLIR: US-based manufacturer of thermal imaging, sensor, and integrated payload systems widely used on commercial and defense drones. Broad incumbent because Teledyne FLIR's airborne sensor suites compete for, and often integrate into, the same multi-sensor detection payloads as the MK Multi-Sensor used on Mine Kafon's detection drone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/minekafonlab
• Facebookfacebook.com/minekafonlab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minekafonfundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/minekafon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Mine Kafon