Autonomous drone startup Percepto secured $67 million Series C funding round, led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT) with participation from U.S. Venture Partners, Delek US Holdings, Atento Capital, Spider Capital and Arkin Holdings.
The startup also recently received a nationwide Beyond Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver from the FAA, allowing Percepto to provide remotely-operated automated drones to any U.S. critical infrastructure site, without requiring site-specific FAA approvals. It eliminates logistical and cost barriers, accelerating the adoption of autonomous drone technology.
Percepto's Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM) solution, powered by autonomous drones, robots, and AI, enables critical infrastructure sites to enhance inspection quality and frequency. The solution automates the entire visual inspection workflow, from data collection to AI-powered analysis and insights. It allows companies to detect issues such as gas leaks and infrastructure deterioration faster, leading to safer, more efficient, and sustainable industrial operations.
The global commercial drone market is on a growth trajectory, projected to reach $47.38 billion by 2027. A number of local startups contribute to the autonomous drone sector in addition to Percepto, including Flytrex ($60M), Xtend ($23M), vHive.ai ($36M) and Indoor Robotics ($17.7M). Airobotics ($105M) was recently acquired by Ondas Holdings last year for a transaction value of $15.2 million.
Percepto's clients include Fortune 500 companies, including Siemens Energy and Delek US. The new funding round brings the total investment in the startup to over $120 million.