When there are damages to energy infrastructure, such as electricity pylons or gas pipelines, expensive helicopters are frequently used to inspect them. Drones have begun to replace some of those inspections, but the flight-time for these can be limited. Now a new company has produced a drone with a very long range to fill this task, and, while the company demurred over any “dual-use” application, it’s clear that it could be used in a civilian setting to inspect infrastructure damaged by warfare.
Hamburg, Germany-based Beagle uses long-range drones to capture data about energy infrastructure. It has now raised a €5 million seed round co-led by AENU (via partner Fabian Heilemann) and PT1 (via partner Nikolas Samios). Prior to this it had raised €1.9 million in pre-seed funding, plus €2 million in grants and subsidies.
Co-founder Oliver Lichtenstein says he and his team spent five years developing what they dub a “computer with wings” that complies with strict EU airspace regulations for long-range flights, and with no personnel on site — the drone literally rises from its housing unaided.
“Our customers pay us for the data by the kilometer of pipeline. We’re cashflow positive in Germany with the current team and operations,” he said over email. “We plan to use this venture funding to accelerate growth.”
Here’s how it works: An operator sends geo data of their grid to Beagle and gets a quote based on the per-kilometer price for one or both of Beagle’s products (methane detection or hazard detection).
Admittedly Beagle does have competitors, including Intero, the Adlares CHARM helicopter (which detects methane emissions), as well as local helicopter or small airplane services. Plus, Nearmap (U.S.) is similar in terms of business model.
However, Beagle claims to have 75 times the resolution of satellites, is cheaper, has lower emissions than planes, and is permitted to fly long-range repeatedly.
The “Fully EU” (“Made in Germany”) solution also means it has full control over the data and software, something of an advantage in today’s world where systems made outside the EU may come up against geopolitical headwinds.
Furthermore, Lichtenstein said: “We have Operational Approval for flights in EU airspace and can currently cover 80% of the EU area, apart from densely populated areas.”
The market it’s addressing is admittedly big. In the EU it’s worth €2 billion alone, given EU methane regulation requires methane emission tracking, and the U.S. plans to follow the same path.
But while the company is limiting its drones to civilian applications for now, Nikolas Samios, managing partner at PT1, commented that it could be used in other scenarios: “In a world where critical infrastructure is being attacked, it has never been more important to have real-time surveillance for critical infrastructure — from energy lines to telecommunications… so the potential applications of this tech are very broad.”
Lichtenstein was formerly with the drone advisory board in the German Ministry of Transport, and is now also deputy chairman of UAV DACH. He’s joined by Jerry Tang (robotics engineer), Mitja Wittersheim, and Bendix Böttger (former head of Sales DACH for Trustpilot).
While at the Federal Ministry of Transport working on implementing the EU drone regulation, Lichtenstein met Tang and spun up the idea for the company.
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