Swiss robotics company Voliro has raised an additional round of funding, bringing its Series A total to $23 million, to supercharge global expansion of its autonomous drones. The extension saw new backing from noa Ventures and a debt facility from UBS, joining original lead investor Cherry Ventures.
At the heart of Voliro’s technology is the Voliro T, a drone built with a unique tiltable-rotor design and interchangeable sensor payloads. It’s designed to perform contact-based inspections on aging infrastructure like flare stacks, wind turbines, and storage tanks — without the need for scaffolding or rope access. Think of it as a highly intelligent drone that can “touch” structures to spot corrosion or cracks in real time.
This innovation couldn’t come at a better time. Worldwide, corrosion-related failures cost the economy $2.5 trillion each year, with aging infrastructure being a key culprit. In Europe alone, 30% of major industrial accidents are tied to infrastructure integrity issues. Traditional inspection methods are slow, risky, and expensive, often requiring shutdowns and endangering human workers.
In the US, another problem is looming: nearly two-thirds of NDT (non-destructive testing) professionals are over 40, and retirements are picking up pace. Voliro’s high-tech solution doesn’t just make inspections faster and safer — it also appeals to a new generation of digital-native workers.
According to Voliro, the Voliro T drone platform can deliver 5x faster wind turbine inspections, reduce downtime, and cut inspection costs by up to 50%. It’s already being used by big names like Chevron, Holcim, and Acuren across 17 countries, performing over 100 inspections each month.
The new investment will help Voliro level up its platform with AI-powered diagnostics, cloud connectivity, and greater autonomy, ultimately moving toward a future where aerial robots don’t just collect data, but intervene before problems escalate.
“Infrastructure is the backbone of modern civilization,” says CEO Florian Gutzwiller, “and autonomous aerial robots are becoming essential tools to protect it.”
With this latest funding, Voliro is one step closer to turning that vision into everyday reality.
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