nir-vana innovation network

Founded in 2018, this Danish developer of drone solutions has focused specifically on the maritime industry. Flying drones over maritime waters brings a range of technological challenges, caused by salt-water corrosion, salt spray, extreme winds making navigation and control difficult, and difficulties in landing on moving ships. The Danish company had worked in this area and the highly skilled team used their experience, to develop a drone system, specialised for operations in the maritime sector.

This company's drones are developed to land and take off under turbulence from ships' movements caused by unpredictable oceans giving multidimensional movements. A few of the operations that this company currently focuses on are as follows:
• Search and rescue operation when a person falls overboard a vessel (man overboard situation) into the sea
• Assistance when a vessel is docking at the harbour
• Inspection of ships in dry docks
• Inspection of offshore wind turbines
• Package delivery to wind turbines during service and maintenance work
• Situational awareness, which can be helpful in piracy detection etc.
• Detection of oils spill

The company offers an autonomous drone system that includes the following main components:
1. A drone with changeable payloads for different types of operations. For example: a thermal camera payload for search and rescue missions, an RGB (Red / Green / Blue) camera payload for vessel docking, a delivery payload for wind turbine deliveries etc. The payload applications will be developed with regards to the needs of the customer.
2. A charging station for the drone, which shelters the drone when it is not in operation and also changes payloads and batteries as and when required.
3. The software and graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the user to control and monitor the drone, even from a remote location.

The company offers its leading edge solutions in the drone technology to shipping, wind energy and other offshore companies. They already have letters of interest from leading Danish maritime companies who are interested to install their drone system with various applications. They also have project collaborations and partnerships with stakeholders and companies in the Danish, as well as European ecosystems, co-developing complementary software and hardware platforms, integrating robotics and AI technology into maritime operations.

The company is currently looking for a financial agreement, with partners interested in investing in a promising technology through a unique and scalable solution. They are also interested in commercial agreements with technical assistance, to adapt the drone technology for other market sectors and maritime connected solutions in the fields of offshore operations related to search and rescue missions, wind turbine inspections and package deliveries, dry dock inspections, vessel docking assistance and so on.

Advantages & innovations

The maritime sector involves a lot of operations that are risky to the human lives involved in carrying out those operations as well as to the environment and infrastructure. Having a multi-functional drone system on vessels and in harbours and other areas of activity, will support solving these challenges and carrying out the daily maritime operations by minimising the risks involved and saving time and costs. This is the only complex drone solutions company specifically focusing on the maritime sector, applying AI and robotics to solve offshore challenges.

Stage of development

Under development/lab tested

Partner sought

The company seeks for an investor-partner that can support with technological as well as business development and has experience in scaling a start-up into a billion dollar business. The partner's role can also be to provide support for market entry. An alternative solution may be two separate partners with financial investment from one, and technological co-development from another, adapting the drone system to specific maritime tasks.