African Techno Lab
African Techno Lab is a Côte d'Ivoire-based drone services firm operating an ANAC-certified fleet (DJI and VTOL) for electrical inspection, 3D mapping, surveillance, and thermal diagnostics, primarily serving CIE and government clients. Its Drone Academie subsidiary is the only ANAC-approved drone pilot training school in West Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAbidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What African Techno Lab does
African Techno Lab (ATL) is a privately held drone services company headquartered in Bingerville, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, founded in 2017. The firm operates a fleet of professional commercial drones — including the DJI Mavic Pro 2, DJI Matrice 210, VTOL Nimbus, and VTOL Baby Shark — equipped with thermal and high-definition sensors, and delivers aerial data capture across five primary service lines: infrastructure inspection (electrical lines, pylons, bridges, buildings), security and surveillance (including the only authorized night-flight operations in Côte d'Ivoire), cartography and 3D modeling, topography and volumetric surveys, and thermal imaging diagnostics. A proprietary calculation center processes aerial imagery into orthophotos, point clouds, digital terrain models, and georeferenced HTA/HTB power-line datasets for clients. ATL also operates Drone Academie, a wholly-owned subsidiary launched in 2018 that is the only ANAC-approved drone pilot training school in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa, having certified more than 200 civilian pilots.
ATL's commercial model is project-based professional services with quote-driven pricing, sold primarily through direct enterprise engagement in Côte d'Ivoire. The company was created specifically to support Compagnie Ivoirienne d'Électricité (CIE) — the national electric utility — and that relationship remains the anchor, evidenced by inspection of over 2,000 high-voltage pylons and 5,000 km of overhead network. Additional named clients include the Police Nationale de Côte d'Ivoire (security/surveillance) and ANAC (the civil aviation regulator, for training accreditation). Target verticals include construction and BTP, mines and quarries, electricity/utilities, security and defense, infrastructure, and cinema/audiovisual. The company is founder-operated, has approximately 11 employees, and has not disclosed any external funding, parent company, or institutional investors; growth is being pursued via vertical diversification and a current recruitment drive for additional télépilotes.
African Techno Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- African Techno Lab
- Legal name
- African Techno Lab
- Website
- https://africantechnolab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- African Techno Lab is a Côte d'Ivoire-based drone services firm operating an ANAC-certified fleet (DJI and VTOL) for electrical inspection, 3D mapping, surveillance, and thermal diagnostics, primarily serving CIE and government clients. Its Drone Academie subsidiary is the only ANAC-approved drone pilot training school in West Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
African Techno Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Drone Services and Aerial Inspection
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)
Keywords
Where African Techno Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Abidjan
- HQ country
- Côte d’Ivoire
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
African Techno Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Drone Inspection Services: Professional drone services including infrastructure inspection (electrical lines, pylons, buildings), surveillance missions, and construction monitoring. Revenue generated through project-based fees for specific inspection and monitoring missions.
- Drone Training (Drone Academie): Professional drone pilot training programs certified by ANAC. Since 2018, the company has trained over 200 civilian drone pilots. Training covers beginner and professional levels for various industries.
- Cartography and 3D Modeling Services: Aerial cartography, orthophotography, 3D modeling, topographic surveys, and volumetric calculations. Services are tailored to construction, mining, and infrastructure projects.
- Technical Consulting and Maintenance: Technical assistance, advisory services, and maintenance support for clients' drone operations and data collection processes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
African Techno Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
African Techno Lab provides professional drone-based services in Côte d'Ivoire, including aerial inspection of electrical infrastructure (power lines, pylons), thermal imaging and diagnostics, photogrammetry-driven 3D modeling and orthophotography, topography, construction work monitoring, and day/night aerial surveillance. The company also operates Drone Academie, the first ANAC-approved civilian drone pilot training school in West Africa, training and certifying pilots for various industries.
Product overview
African Techno Lab (ATL) is a drone services company in Côte d'Ivoire providing a comprehensive suite of professional drone solutions. The company operates a fleet of professional drones (DJI Mavic Pro 2, DJI Matrice 210, VTOL Nimbus, VTOL Baby Shark) equipped with thermal sensors and high-resolution cameras. Core services include Cartographie & Modélisation 3D (aerial cartography, orthophotography, 3D modeling), Inspection et Analyse (electrical infrastructure inspection, thermal diagnostics), Surveillance par Drone (day/night security monitoring), Topographie (drone-based surveying), and Thermographie (thermal imaging). The company also offers training through its ANAC-approved subsidiary Drone Academie, the first and only certified drone pilot school in West Africa. ATL serves diverse industries including construction, mining, electricity, security, and infrastructure across Côte d'Ivoire.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Drone Academie (droneacademie.ci): The first ANAC-approved drone pilot training school in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa, offering certification for beginner and professional drone pilots since 2018.
Products and services
- Cartographie & Modélisation 3D Aerial cartography and precision 3D modeling services using drones. Includes orthophotography, volumetric measurements, digital terrain models, and topographic plans for construction, mining, and infrastructure projects in Côte d'Ivoire.
- Inspection et Analyse Drone-based infrastructure inspection services including electrical line and pylon evaluation, thermal diagnostics, and preventive maintenance analysis for utilities and infrastructure operators. Reduces costs and human risk while providing precise diagnostic data.
- Surveillance par Drone Drone surveillance services for security and monitoring applications. Deploys VTOL drones with thermal cameras for day and night surveillance, threat detection, and perimeter monitoring across inaccessible areas. African Techno Lab is the only company authorized for night flights in Côte d'Ivoire.
- Contrôle des Travaux Drone-based construction and infrastructure work inspection services ensuring efficiency and safety during project execution and structural/artwork monitoring on site.
- Topographie High-resolution, high-precision topographic data collection services using drones for mapping and land surveying applications.
- Thermographie Drone-based thermal imaging and thermography services for building energy assessment, electrical infrastructure diagnostics, and thermal anomaly detection using thermal sensors.
- Analyses et Conseils Technical consulting, analysis, and maintenance support services for clients' drone operations and infrastructure monitoring projects.
- Drone Academie (Pilot Training) ANAC-approved professional drone pilot training programs covering beginner and professional certification levels, delivered since 2018 by the first and only ANAC-certified drone school in West Africa.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 2,000 high-voltage pylons visited and 5,000 km of overhead electrical network inspected
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use African Techno Lab
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
African Techno Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
African Techno Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Compagnie Ivoirienne d'électricité (CIE)coreCIE is the primary client and strategic partner for African Techno Lab. ATL was created specifically to support CIE in introducing drone technology for maintenance and security of aerial electrical infrastructure of all voltages. The company provides ongoing inspection services for CIE's power network, including over 2,000 pylons and 5,000 km of lines.
- ANAC (Autorité Nationale de l'Aviation Civile)coreANAC is the National Civil Aviation Authority that provides regulatory approval and accreditation for drone operations. African Techno Lab is ANAC-approved, and their training arm Drone Academie is the only ANAC-approved drone training school in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa.
- Drone AcademiecoreDrone Academie is the training division of African Techno Lab, operating as the first ANAC-approved drone training school in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa. Since 2018, it has trained over 200 civilian drone pilots. Located at droneacademie.ci.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
African Techno Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- senseFly (Parrot): Provider of professional mapping drones and accompanying software for surveying, agriculture, and inspection. Adjacent to ATL on photogrammetry/cartography workflows and enterprise mapping customers.
- Delair: France-based commercial drone/UAV provider with mapping and inspection solutions for enterprise and government clients. Comparable technology stack (VTOL, mapping analytics) and target verticals (utilities, mining, infrastructure).
Broad incumbents
- PrecisionHawk: Established North American drone-data and analytics platform serving utilities, insurance, agriculture, and construction at scale. Comparable end-to-end data platform model, though at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- DroneDeploy: Major drone-data platform offering mapping, 3D modeling, and inspection workflows across construction, mining, and utilities. Closely comparable on photogrammetry and 3D modeling deliverables that constitute a core ATL revenue stream.
Others
- YellowScan: Provider of LiDAR-based drone surveying solutions for mapping and forestry. Adjacent enabling relationship to ATL's photogrammetry/cartography services through complementary hardware/technology rather than direct service competition.
Direct peers
- Terra Drone Corporation: Global drone-services provider offering inspection, surveying, and surveillance for utilities, mining, and infrastructure — directly mirroring ATL's service portfolio across multiple geographies and verticals.
- Sky-Future: Drone inspection company focused on utilities, oil & gas, and linear infrastructure (pipelines, power lines). Closely aligned with ATL on linear-asset inspection use cases and enterprise customers.
- Cyberhawk: UK-based drone inspection specialist serving the electricity, oil & gas, and infrastructure verticals with thermal and visual UAV inspections. Highly comparable to ATL on customer profile (utilities), service model (drone-based inspection + analytics), and vertical specialization.
- Measure (UAVIO / Measure UAS): US-based drone-services operator providing inspection, survey, and monitoring for enterprise clients across utilities, construction, and infrastructure — comparable service model, though with US/NA market focus.
Regional players
- Aerobotics: South African aerial-data-analytics company operating in African agriculture. Same African emerging-market context and drone-data-to-insights service model as ATL, though focused on agriculture rather than infrastructure inspection.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
African Techno Lab social profiles
Digital presenceAfrican Techno Lab compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
African Techno Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
African Techno Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
African Techno Lab subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
African Techno Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
African Techno Lab 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 African Techno Lab
What does African Techno Lab do?
African Techno Lab provides professional drone-based services in Côte d'Ivoire, including aerial inspection of electrical infrastructure (power lines, pylons), thermal imaging and diagnostics, photogrammetry-driven 3D modeling and orthophotography, topography, construction work monitoring, and day/night aerial surveillance. The company also operates Drone Academie, the first ANAC-approved civilian drone pilot training school in West Africa, training and certifying pilots for various industries.
Is African Techno Lab a public or private company?
African Techno Lab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was African Techno Lab founded?
African Techno Lab was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is African Techno Lab based?
African Techno Lab is headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in the Africa region.
How does African Techno Lab make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Drone Inspection Services are the primary driver. The others are drone Training (Drone Academie), cartography and 3D Modeling Services and technical Consulting and Maintenance.
Who are African Techno Lab's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are senseFly (Parrot) and Delair. Broad incumbents are PrecisionHawk and DroneDeploy. YellowScan is listed as an others. Direct peers are Terra Drone Corporation, Sky-Future, Cyberhawk and Measure (UAVIO / Measure UAS). Aerobotics is listed as a regional player.
Does African Techno Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for African Techno Lab.
What industry is African Techno Lab in?
African Techno Lab's product category is Drone Services and Aerial Inspection. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAC, VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms, with a secondary code of IMABAIAO, UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.