Alti
ALTI Unmanned is a South Africa-based manufacturer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing unmanned aircraft systems serving mining, conservation, military, and security customers through direct enterprise sales of hardware priced between $0 and $300,000 per system.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersKnysna, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Alti does
Alti, operating as ALTI Unmanned, is a privately held South African manufacturer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft systems, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Knysna. The company designs and builds electric-powered UAS platforms that eliminate runway infrastructure requirements while delivering surveillance, monitoring, and reconnaissance capabilities across four primary verticals: Mining, Conservation, Military, and Security. Its product positioning targets use cases ranging from aerial surveying, volumetric analysis, and safety inspections in mining, to wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching patrols in conservation, to tactical reconnaissance and perimeter security in military and commercial security applications. The differentiator is the electric VTOL architecture enabling operations in confined or infrastructure-limited environments where fixed-wing alternatives are impractical.
The business operates on a direct enterprise field-sales model, with quote-based pricing structured into two disclosed budget tiers — $0–$150,000 and $150,000–$300,000 — indicating a product portfolio segmented between standard and advanced capability systems sold as multi-year hardware contracts. Customer acquisition runs through a structured website contact form requiring application type, country, and project overview, supported by direct outreach to a single named contact (Nathan Archer). The firm has no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, partnerships, certifications, patents, or named customers in the available data.
The company website is currently undergoing an upgrade, and no revenue, headcount trend, or backlog figures are publicly available. Founder Duran Villiers serves as Founder, Owner and CEO, and the firm employs between 11 and 50 people. Overall, ALTI Unmanned presents as a small, vertically specialized hardware manufacturer with a consultative sales motion, a multi-vertical go-to-market, and limited publicly verifiable commercial traction at this stage.
Alti firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alti
- Legal name
- ALTI Unmanned
- Website
- https://altiuas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ALTI Unmanned is a South Africa-based manufacturer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing unmanned aircraft systems serving mining, conservation, military, and security customers through direct enterprise sales of hardware priced between $0 and $300,000 per system.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alti industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Unmanned Aerial Systems
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC)
Keywords
Where Alti is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knysna
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alti business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- VTOL Drone Hardware Sales: Sale of electric VTOL unmanned aircraft systems, with budget tiers ranging from $0-$150,000 to $150,000-$300,000, indicating a product portfolio serving different operational requirements and customer budgets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Standard tier systems under $150,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Premium tier systems $150,000-$300,000 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Alti product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ALTI Unmanned designs, develops, and manufactures electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft systems (drones) sold to industrial and defence customers. Its product line targets four core verticals — Mining, Conservation, Military, and Security — for use cases including aerial surveying, site monitoring, volumetric analysis, wildlife and anti-poaching surveillance, reconnaissance, perimeter security, and emergency response.
Product overview
ALTI Unmanned is a provider of Electric VTOL Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The company offers a portfolio of VTOL drone solutions targeting four primary application areas: Mining, Conservation, Military, and Security. The product line consists of electric-powered vertical take-off and landing unmanned aircraft systems designed for surveillance, monitoring, and security applications across civilian and defense sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electric VTOL Unmanned Aircraft Systems ALTI Unmanned's flagship product line: electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing unmanned aircraft systems (drones) sold into Mining, Conservation, Military, and Security applications for aerial surveying, site monitoring, volumetric analysis, wildlife and anti-poaching surveillance, reconnaissance, perimeter security, and emergency response. Offered in at least two hardware budget tiers: a standard tier under $150,000 with basic VTOL capabilities, and a premium tier of $150,000–$300,000 with advanced VTOL capabilities for complex operational requirements.
Companies that use Alti
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Alti technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Alti partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Alti competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Elbit Systems: Large Israeli defense prime with tactical UAS portfolio (e.g., THOR, Magni) — competes with Alti in military and security segments at the higher end of the market.
- Parrot: European drone maker (Parrot ANAFI) serving surveying, defense, and security — comparable vertical breadth with broader consumer and enterprise scale.
- Textron Systems: US defense prime operating Aerosonde tactical UAS — provides broader incumbency context for Alti's defense/security pursuits.
- DJI: Dominant global commercial drone maker with enterprise-grade UAS across surveying, public safety, and inspection — competes with Alti on price and brand in non-military segments.
Direct peers
- senseFly (AgEagle): Swiss professional fixed-wing/VTOL drone maker (now part of AgEagle) serving mining, conservation, and surveying — directly comparable industrial verticals.
- Quantum-Systems: German electric VTOL fixed-wing UAS manufacturer serving defense, security, mining, and surveying — directly comparable platform architecture and vertical mix.
- Delair: French fixed-wing/BVLOS UAS vendor serving defense, security, mining, and infrastructure inspection — comparable vertical breadth and enterprise GTM.
- Wingtra: Swiss VTOL mapping drone maker focused on surveying, mining, and conservation use cases — overlapping customer base and mission profile.
- Silent Sentinel: UK-based manufacturer of surveillance platforms including UAS for perimeter security and defense — directly comparable to Alti's security and military segments.
Emerging players
- Threod Systems: Estonian mini-UAS manufacturer focused on tactical ISR for defense/security — comparable to Alti's military and security use cases with a small-team operating model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Alti social profiles
Digital presenceAlti financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alti leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Alti funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alti M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alti
What does Alti do?
ALTI Unmanned designs, develops, and manufactures electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft systems (drones) sold to industrial and defence customers. Its product line targets four core verticals — Mining, Conservation, Military, and Security — for use cases including aerial surveying, site monitoring, volumetric analysis, wildlife and anti-poaching surveillance, reconnaissance, perimeter security, and emergency response.
Is Alti a public or private company?
Alti is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alti founded?
Alti was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alti based?
Alti is headquartered in Knysna, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Alti make money?
One revenue line is on record: VTOL Drone Hardware Sales.
Who are Alti's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Elbit Systems, Parrot, Textron Systems and DJI. Direct peers are senseFly (AgEagle), Quantum-Systems, Delair, Wingtra and Silent Sentinel. Threod Systems is listed as an emerging player.
Does Alti have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alti.
What industry is Alti in?
Alti's product category is Unmanned Aerial Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAC, VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms, with a secondary code of IMABAMAC, Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms. Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3721.