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Flyability

Collision-tolerant drones for indoor inspection

Overview

Flyability designs collision-tolerant drones with a protective cage for inspecting difficult indoor and hazardous spaces. Its Elios drones fly inside confined areas, even without GPS, and use LiDAR and computer vision to build real-time 3D maps while detecting assets and collecting data; a modular payload system adds sensors like ultrasonic gauges or radiation sensors. What sets Flyability apart is its indoor, confined-space focus and cage-protected platform paired with SLAM-based mapping, providing end-to-end inspection solutions for industries such as power, oil and gas, mining, and chemicals. The company aims to cut inspection costs and asset downtime and improve safety by enabling fast, accurate data collection without exposing workers to dangerous environments.

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About Flyability

Simplify's Rating
Why Flyability is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & AnalyticsRobotics & AutomationIndustrial & ManufacturingEnterprise Software

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series C

Total Funding

$42.5M

Headquarters

Lausanne, Switzerland

Founded

2013

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Flyability won Tech Tour’s Best Sustainability Scale Up on March 17, 2026.
  • September 2026 INTERGEO and Johannesburg Mining Connect Day widen industrial demand generation.
  • SOC 2 Type II completion and Bureau Veritas validation improve enterprise procurement confidence.

What critics are saying

  • Elios 3 depends on Ouster LiDAR; sensor changes can disrupt mapping performance quickly.
  • August 2026 hotfixes and September 2026 warnings signal ongoing product complexity and support burden.
  • DJI, Boston Dynamics, and Exyn pressure pricing; Flyability loses if customers standardize cheaper workflows.

What makes Flyability unique

  • Elios 3 flies inside GPS-denied tanks, tunnels, and vessels with collision-tolerant cages.
  • Flyability’s five-year Ouster partnership adds LiDAR mapping for measurable 3D inspection data.
  • Bureau Veritas collaboration gives Elios 3 UT credibility in maritime class-approved inspections.

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Funding

Total Funding

$42.5M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Series C funding is usually for startups that are doing well and are looking for more money to fuel major growth, such as acquiring other companies, expanding into global markets, or launching new product lines. Investors typically include larger venture capital firms and private equity.
Series C Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$50M
$40M
$50M
$62M
$100M

Benefits

  • Paid Vacation
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options
  • Gym Membership
  • Employee Discounts
  • Company Social Events

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

0%
Robotics Tomorrow
Sep 9th, 2026
Flyability and Ouster showcase proven lidar partnership at INTERGEO 2026 to elevate next-gen industrial inspection.

Flyability and Ouster showcase proven lidar partnership at INTERGEO 2026 to elevate next-gen industrial inspection. Building on five years of joint innovation, Flyability evaluates Ouster's new REV8 digital lidar to unlock native color 3D mapping in hazardous and GPS-denied industrial environments. Ouster, Inc. (Nasdaq: OUST), a leader in sensing and perception for Physical AI, and Flyability, a pioneer in confined-space inspection and mapping, will showcase their long-standing technology collaboration at INTERGEO 2026, taking place September 15-17 in Munich, Germany. More headlines. Articles. Flyability will join Ouster at Booth B5I018 in Hall B5, where the companies will demonstrate how the combination of Flyability's collision-tolerant Elios 3 drone and Ouster's digital lidar enables industrial teams to capture accurate 3D data in environments that are difficult to access with conventional surveying equipment and unsafe for people to enter. Combining Aerial Access with Rugged 3D Sensing For more than five years, Flyability and Ouster have worked together around a shared challenge: enabling reliable mapping and inspection in dangerous, dark and GPS-denied environments. The collaboration combines two complementary technologies: Flyability's Elios 3 is designed to fly safely in confined and inaccessible spaces, while Ouster's compact, rugged OS0 lidar provides the high-density 3D measurements required for spatial awareness and mapping. Data from the Ouster lidar feeds Flyability's SLAM and mapping systems, supporting real-time localization, flight stability and collision avoidance. This rich data also allows Elios 3 operators to capture measurable 3D representations of industrial assets during their inspection missions. This combination is particularly valuable in environments such as mine shafts, wastewater tunnels, tanks, industrial vessels and other confined spaces. In these environments, GPS is unavailable and conventional visual sensors can be limited by total darkness, airborne dust or surfaces with few distinctive visual features. "Flyability has demonstrated how digital lidar can create real operational value when it is taken into environments that conventional surveying systems cannot easily reach," said Ouster CEO Angus Pacala. "Our collaboration brings together rugged, high-density 3D sensing and a unique aerial inspection platform, helping industrial teams understand critical assets while reducing the need for people to enter hazardous spaces." From Visual Inspection to Measurable 3D Data By carrying lidar into previously inaccessible areas, Elios 3 helps industrial operators move beyond visual inspection records to create spatially accurate 3D representations of their assets. The combined Flyability and Ouster solution provides several benefits: Enhanced Operational Safety: The drone carries inspection and mapping sensors into confined or hazardous spaces, reducing the need for personnel to enter them. Reliable Spatial Awareness: Ouster lidar supports localization, stability and collision avoidance in dark and GPS-denied environments. Efficient Single-Pass Data Collection: Combines visual inspection with high-density 3D mapping into a single mission, delivering measurable point cloud data while reducing operational disruption. "Our collaboration with Ouster began with a shared ambition: to capture reliable 3D data in places where people should not have to go," said Adrien Briod, CTO at Flyability. "Ouster's lidar has become a critical part of the Elios 3 mapping platform. Bringing our teams together at INTERGEO gives us the opportunity to show surveying professionals how aerial access and high-performance lidar are already changing the way complex industrial environments are documented and understood." Exploring The Future of Industrial Reality Capture At INTERGEO, Ouster will showcase Rev8, the world's first native color digital lidar. By combining color and 3D data within a single sensor, alongside increased range, precision, and resolution, Rev8 represents a significant step forward for industrial reality capture. Flyability is evaluating how Rev8's increased range, precision, and resolution can enhance SLAM, mapping, and flight-path data capture for Elios 3 and future inspection workflows. About Ouster Ouster (Nasdaq: OUST) is a leader in sensing and perception for Physical AI across industrial, robotics, automotive, and smart infrastructure. With a unified platform of high-performance digital lidar, cameras, AI compute, sensor fusion and perception software, and AI models, Ouster delivers solutions that improve quality of life in the physical world. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Ouster has a global presence serving thousands of customers with offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information about its products, visit www.ouster.com, contact its sales team, or connect with RoboticsTomorrow on X or LinkedIn. About Flyability Flyability is a Swiss company building solutions for the inspection and mapping of confined, inaccessible and hazardous spaces. Its collision-tolerant Elios drones allow industrial operators to collect visual, thermal and 3D data remotely, reducing the need for people to enter dangerous environments. Flyability's solutions are used across industries including energy, mining, maritime, infrastructure, chemicals and public safety. By enabling safer and more efficient data collection, Flyability helps organizations improve decision-making, reduce downtime and lower the risks associated with industrial inspections. For more information, visit www.flyability.com.

Mining Technology
Jul 20th, 2026
Flyability hosting Mining Connect Day in Johannesburg on September 15.

Flyability hosting Mining Connect Day in Johannesburg on September 15. Flyability, a market leader in the confined-space drone sector, is hosting a Mining Connect Day in Johannesburg, South Africa, on September 15th. The first event of its kind by Flyability in Africa, the Mining Connect Day is being organised in partnership with Flyability's licensed reseller GammaTec NDT Supplies SOC Ltd. Together, they are inviting Elios drone users and enthusiasts in the mining sector from across Africa to join them for an event focused on expert insights, product updates, and networking. This is a unique opportunity to gather innovators at the forefront of mining technology. A Flyability Connect Day includes moderated expert panel discussions, thought leadership keynotes, and product insights and updates from the Flyability team members. The Mining Connect Day in Johannesburg will focus on the Elios 3's surveying capabilities in underground and above ground mining operations, diving into the features of its Surveying Payload and LiDAR scanner, along with exclusive insights into upcoming releases that will appeal to the industry. A preliminary agenda hints at sessions focused on safety, regulatory compliance, and a guest presentation by mining software developers Maptek. Flyability's official reseller for Africa, GammaTec, is the co-host of the event. GammaTec's personal connections with mining customers and Elios 3 users in the region, in combination with Flyability's network, promise to deliver an event full of industry professionals and leaders who are focused on making their sites safer and bringing digitisation to their operations. The African mining market has rapidly adopted drone technology, and Flyability and GammaTec aim to expand the Elios 3's presence in this ever-growing sector. The Mining Connect Day is being hosted in Johannesburg at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Campus on September 15th, 2026. Registration is free and available via the Flyability website.

Flyability
Jun 1st, 2026
Flyability and Bureau Veritas Collaborate to Bring Safer and More Efficient Inspections in Maritime and Offshore

Flyability and Bureau Veritas Collaborate to Bring Safer and More Efficient Inspections in Maritime and Offshore Share: Flyability and Bureau Veritas Collaborate to Bring Safer and More Efficient Inspections in Maritime and Offshore PARIS, FRANCE - Flyability, a pioneer in indoor inspection drones, and Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) services, collaborate to enhance asset inspections in the maritime and offshore industries through the integration of advanced drone technology and regulatory expertise. Quote from Alexander Gregg-Smith on the use of Flyability's Remote Inspection Techniques The maritime and offshore sectors face unique challenges when it comes to asset integrity. Vessels are under constant threat of corrosion and structural damage. Traditional inspections of cargo holds, COTs, ballast tanks, FPSOs, and offshore platforms often require scaffolding, rope access, or sending personnel into hazardous, confined spaces. By combining Flyability's specialized collision-tolerant drones with Bureau Veritas's extensive inspection framework, the partnership will deliver a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative. "Inspection drones are transforming maritime inspections by making access to confined and difficult spaces safer and more efficient. They provide high-quality digital inspection data that supports better decision-making and long-term asset management. Most importantly, they allow surveyors and crews to reduce exposure to hazardous environments whilst maintaining high inspection standards," says Redouane Assad, Fleet Management Director at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. Learn more about the collaboration between Bureau Veritas and Flyability: "At Bureau Veritas, we see UT drones as a very promising evolution of remote inspection techniques. Bureau Veritas and Flyability are working together to advance the use of drone-based inspection technologies in the maritime industry," says Alexander Gregg-Smith, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. Flyability's Elios 3 UT drones are uniquely engineered to operate in GPS-denied, complex, and confined environments, making them ideal for the intricate internal structures of ships and offshore vessels. This drone collects high-resolution visual data, 3D mapping information, and ultrasonic thickness measurements, which provides surveyors with a comprehensive overview of the condition of the inspected structure. When inspections are carried out according to approved procedures and operational requirements, the data collected by the Elios 3 UT can meet BV's guidelines for class-approved inspection activities. The Elios 3 single-crystal UT probe underwent a serious validation process from Bureau Veritas to validate compliance with their standards for data collection. This included accuracy assessments for the ultrasonic thickness measurement probe (UT Payload), repeatability tests, operational trials in representative vessel environments, and comparisons against conventional inspection methods to assess compliance with BV requirements. Watch here the full interview to learn how Bureau Veritas tested and deployed their fleet of Elios 3's. Quote from Redouane Assad on the collaboration between Flyability and Bureau Veritas Helping ensure the safety of surveyors and crew while maintaining operational efficiency is a top priority for the maritime industry. This collaboration combines Bureau Veritas' 200-year heritage in maritime safety with state-of-the-art robotics, bringing a new standard of inspection to maritime clients globally. Quote from Matteo Saglia on the adoption of Remote Inspection Techniques About Flyability Flyability is a Swiss company developing solutions for the remote inspection of indoor, inaccessible, and confined spaces. By allowing drones to be used safely inside ships and offshore vessels, the Elios 3 UT is helping owners and inspection professionals to reduce downtime, inspection costs, and risks to workers. The UT payload is a critical enabler for remote, class-compliant ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM), making it a complete NDT solution for the maritime industry.

Verve Ventures
Mar 26th, 2026
What's new?

What's new? Flyability was named the winner of the Best Sustainability Scale-Up award at the 2026 Tech Tour Growth Awards. This milestone follows the company's inclusion in the Tech Tour Growth50, a list representing Europe's most promising scale-ups with potential for category leadership. This achievement reinforces Verve Ventures' investment thesis in Industrial Tech & Robotics. Flyability exemplifies how autonomous hardware can modernize legacy industrial workflows through high-precision mapping and inspection. About Flyability. * Over 1,500 global customers utilize Flyability solutions. * More than 2,750 Elios drones have been deployed across 50 countries. * Customers complete hundreds of missions daily using the technology. * The Elios 3 can navigate through spaces as small as 50x50 centimeters. Patrick Thevoz Co-founder and CEO of Flyability "Being elected the 'Best Sustainability Scale Up' among 500 of Europe's top technology champions is a testament to our team's relentless dedication. Our mission has always been to keep humans out of dangerous places while helping asset-heavy industries reduce their environmental footprint and optimize their resources. This award validates the real-world sustainability impact of our technology on a global scale." Investors. Our sophisticated investors include visionary family offices, leading wealth managers, institutions, founders, and senior executives. These individuals and organizations are all committed to shaping the next generation of innovation.

Verve Ventures
Oct 28th, 2025
Flyability raises an additional CHF 15 M in Series C funding

Flyability announced that it has raised an additional CHF 15 million in a Series C funding on top of CHF 7 million that it had already closed.

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