Based in Oslo, AirDodge has raised $500,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Nordic Makers and Antler. The company is developing a platform, U-Space, designed to manage drone traffic in European airspace, offering a real-time map of drone activity and simplifying flight permissions. The platform is aligned with EU regulations aimed at ensuring safe and efficient drone operations. With the funding, AirDodge plans to accelerate its platform’s development and aims to launch an alpha version by mid-2025. The company is addressing the growing need for infrastructure as drone usage expands, particularly in light of past disruptions like the 2018 Gatwick airport incident.
AirDodge focuses on addressing the growing need for air traffic control solutions for drones. Founded in 2022 by Umar Chughtai, the company is developing a software platform called U-Space, which aims to manage large-scale, automated drone operations across Europe. The platform is designed to help drones integrate safely into the airspace, particularly in challenging environments such as urban areas and near airports, where operational and regulatory hurdles are common. AirDodge’s technology is aligned with the EU’s U-Space framework, which aims to create dedicated airspace for drones, making them electronically visible alongside manned aircraft and enabling safer and more efficient flight operations.
The company offers four core services through its platform: remote drone identification, live air traffic information, geo-zones for mission planning, and flight authorization. These services are accessible via the AirDodge Pilot mobile app, which connects drones to the U-Space ecosystem and ensures compliance with legal and safety standards. The goal is to facilitate the large-scale use of drones, reducing the operational challenges faced by drone service providers today. Through this approach, AirDodge is working to build infrastructure that will support the expansion of drone operations across Europe while addressing safety concerns and regulatory requirements.
“At AirDodge, we envision a future where drones seamlessly integrate into the airspace, contributing positively to various industries while ensuring safety and compliance,” said Umar Chughtai to TNW. “This funding will allow us to accelerate the development of our U-Space platform, bringing us closer to realising that vision.”
“Drone technology has the potential to have a positive impact on society, business and public services, but there is not yet a way to guarantee safety,” said Kristian Jul Røsjø, partner at Antler. “High-profile disruptions are hindering the development of this technology and AirDodge will provide a much-needed solution.”
“We have the drones, but we lack the infrastructure. In this case, the infrastructure is not roads, plumbing, or electrical wires; but rather ethereal communication systems,” said Nima Tisdall, partner at Nordic Makers. “The founding team is forceful and ambitious — qualities that can be surprisingly rare to find in Nordic entrepreneurs, but integral in building a category-winning business,” she said. “We’re excited to be supporting a local player who can help unlock the large-scale adoption of drones across Europe.”
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/airdodge-raises-500k-pre-seed/
