Drone Expertise Centre

What Drone Expertise Centre does

Drone Expertise Centre is a French privately-held drone services and training operator headquartered in Baule, Loiret (Centre-Val de Loire), founded in August 2018 and structured as a SAS with a €1,000 share capital. The company runs a dual-activity model: (1) professional drone services covering aerial audiovisual production, technical studies using photogrammetry and LiDAR, drone-based roof and façade demoussing with biodegradable chemistry, and security applications; and (2) a QUALIOPI-certified training center in Orléans with a second site near Dijon that delivers drone pilot certification, data processing, thermography, and professional video courses eligible for CPF, AFDAS, FAFCEA, AGEFICE, and FIFPL funding.

The technical stack is built around professional-grade hardware (DJI M300 RTK with Zenmuse P1, Yellowscan Mapper LiDAR sensors, purpose-built demossing drones) and third-party processing software (Reality Capture, CAD/GIS pipelines producing DXF/DWG and orthophoto deliverables). Documented outputs include 5cm absolute vertical accuracy on a 160-hectare LiDAR survey, 1.3cm/pixel orthophotos, 3D meshes for Unreal Engine 5 virtual production, and 334 m² vineyard roofs cleaned in 3h30, illustrating a focus on high-value, accuracy-driven deliverables rather than commodity aerial imaging.

Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: the firm responds to project inquiries via website contact forms and phone, supports demand with technical blog content and regional press coverage, and lists training on the monCompteFormation.gouv.fr platform. Customer concentration spans enterprise clients (France 3, France 2/Vortex, Parc Astérix, CO'MET Orléans, Cosmetic Park) and SMB/viticulture/heritage accounts, with on-site delivery executed across at least 10 French regions through a national network of subcontracted pilots. The company has reported 1,200+ projects, 8,000+ flight hours, 800+ clients, and 120+ annual trainees, all delivered with a core team of 1-10 employees.

Name

Drone Expertise Centre

Legal name

DRONE EXPERTISE CENTRE

Website

https://drone-expertise-centre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone Expertise Centre is a French drone services and pilot training firm based in Baule, Loiret, providing LiDAR and photogrammetry surveys, aerial audiovisual production, drone-based roof demossing, and CPF-eligible drone pilot training to enterprise, SMB, and heritage clients across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Services and Aerial Surveying

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Flight Training (611512), Commercial Photography (541922), Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Drone/UAS Application Services (Spraying, Spreading, Seeding) (AFACAIAB)

Keywords

• Aerial photography services
• Drone LiDAR surveys
• Photogrammetry mapping
• Drone pilot training
• Roof moss removal

Headquarters

HQ city

Baule

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Drone Services: Service provision including aerial photography/videography, LiDAR surveys, photogrammetry, topographic studies, roof demossing, and inspection services. Billed per project based on scope, terrain size, and deliverables required.
2. Professional Drone Training: Training center offering courses for drone pilot certification (télépilote), data processing, thermography, and professional video capture. Training eligible for CPF funding, Professional Transition Projects, and various professional development programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Drone Expertise Centre provides professional drone-based services including aerial photography and video production, technical studies using LiDAR and photogrammetry for topography and inspection, drone-based roof and facade cleaning using biodegradable products, security/surveillance drone operations, and professional drone pilot training (télépilote certification, data processing, thermography, professional video) at its QUALIOPI-certified training centers in Orléans and Dijon.

Product overview

Drone Expertise Centre is a drone services company offering a portfolio of integrated services centered on professional drone operations. The company operates across four main service lines: (1) Production audiovisuelle for aerial photography, video, and timelapse production; (2) Études techniques for technical drone-based studies using photogrammétrie (photogrammetry) and LiDAR for topography, cubature, and inspection applications; (3) Démoussage de toiture for drone-based roof and facade cleaning using biodegradable products; and (4) Formations drone for professional pilot training. The company holds QUALIOPI certification for its training centers in Orléans and Dijon, and emphasizes its expertise in data processing, 20 years of aerial regulation experience, and 15 years of data treatment experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Production audiovisuelle (Audiovisual Production) Professional aerial photography, video production, ground shots, timelapses, and dronelapses incorporated into professional video montages for media, broadcasting, real estate, event coverage, and construction documentation clients.
• Études techniques (Technical Studies) Technical drone-based studies including photogrammetry, LiDAR data acquisition and processing, topography, cubature calculations, and photovoltaic inspection producing high-value deliverables (orthophotos, DTM, 3D mesh, georeferenced AutoCAD/SIG outputs) for construction, engineering, network operators, and heritage clients.
• Démoussage de toiture (Roof Moss Removal) Drone-based roof and façade cleaning services using specially designed drones with precision spraying systems and 95% biodegradable products approved for historic monuments, enabling safe cleaning of inaccessible or fragile rooftops and façades without manual access.
• Sécurité (Security Drone Services) Security-related drone services for surveillance and monitoring applications using professional drone platforms.
• Formations drone (Professional Drone Training)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5cm absolute vertical accuracy verified on 33/38 verification points in Parc Astérix 160ha LiDAR survey
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Vortex Production (France 2)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Created 6-hectare beach digital twin for TV series 'Vortex' using Star Wars: The Mandalorian virtual production technique. First French production at this scale using LED wall volume. Drone Expertise Centre delivered photogrammetry data optimized for Unreal Engine 5 integration.
• France 3 Centre Val de LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing media partnership where Drone Expertise Centre provides aerial drone footage for France 3's regional programs including 'Enquêtes de Région' (monthly), 'Dans la Place' (live broadcasts, monthly), and 'Ici en France' (2x/year). Team works under radio direction from the director, providing FPV and stabilized footage for live and pre-recorded segments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Skyports: UK-based drone services operator providing inspection, surveying, and drone-infrastructure deployment (including vertiports). Comparable vertically-integrated drone-services operating model, though serving primarily UK/international markets rather than France.

Direct peers

• Delta Drone (Hexagone Drone): France-based professional drone services group listed on Euronext, providing aerial data acquisition, surveying, and inspection across multiple industries. Comparable as a direct French competitor offering LiDAR-grade drone-based professional services with training and technical study components.
• TopoDrone: Central European drone-based surveying and mapping specialist focused on LiDAR, photogrammetry, and GIS deliverables for engineering and infrastructure clients. Directly comparable operating model: drone-based data acquisition plus high-precision geospatial products.

Others

• Pix4D: Swiss photogrammetry software company whose tools (PIX4Dmapper, PIX4Dmatic) underpin the photogrammetry deliverables that Drone Expertise Centre produces. Enabling/ecosystem peer in the same data-processing workflow rather than a direct service competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Drone Volt: French public drone manufacturer and services provider offering UAV hardware and turnkey professional drone services (security, inspection, audiovisual). Broader incumbent with both product and service lines, competing for French B2B drone-service budgets.
• SenseFly (Parrot): Swiss manufacturer of fixed-wing mapping drones (eParrot subsidiary) supplying survey-grade UAVs and end-to-end workflows to geospatial firms like Drone Expertise Centre. Broader incumbent defining the drone-surveying category in which the subject competes.
• Delair: French commercial drone manufacturer (fixed-wing UAVs) with strong presence in surveying, agriculture, and industrial inspection. A broader incumbent in the French drone ecosystem, sharing the geospatial-data value proposition with Drone Expertise Centre.
• Survey Copter (Airbus): Airbus-owned French aeronautics firm specialized in unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, cartography, and reconnaissance. Larger incumbent with overlapping aerial-survey and geospatial-intelligence capabilities serving French public-sector and defense buyers.
• PrecisionHawk: U.S.-based drone data and analytics platform providing aerial inspection, mapping, and asset-management services for energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. Comparable LiDAR/photogrammetry-as-a-service proposition for enterprise infrastructure clients.
• Wingtra: Swiss VTOL drone manufacturer specialized in surveying and mapping. Comparable through the same high-precision aerial-survey customer use cases and overlapping tooling (PPK/RTK, photogrammetry, LiDAR integration).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/share
• Facebookfacebook.com/droneexpertisecentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drone-expertise-centre

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Drone Expertise Centre