Swiss startup wins USD 500,000 in Abu Dhabi based drone competition

Organised by the Abu Dhabi based Krypto Labs, the Drone Innovation Start-Up Contest (DISC) recognizes top innovators who contribute to redefining the conventional wisdom around aerial mobility and its entrepreneurial potential startups.

Over 600 candidates from 61 countries submitted their entries, and only five were selected to pitch at the grand finale event at the Krypto Labs’ premises in Masdar City in front of an audience of industry experts, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Voliro from Switzerland impressed the jury most, and earned the title of «DISC 2018 winner». The startup received USD 500,000 in funding, and support such as mentorship as well as access to a worldwide network. The startup, comprising of 11 students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich) and Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK), hopes to open up a world of new possibilities in the drone industry. The team, designed a Hexacopter that can hover in any orientation in the air by decoupling its position and its orientation completely, giving the System the ability to perform acrobatic maneuvers.

According to the news source, dronebelow, Voliro developed the Hexacopter within 9 months with 6 individually tiltable axes that allow the most unthinkable flight maneuvers till date. This opens up a world of new possible applications.

The Drone Innovation Startup Contest comes in alignment with the UAE National Innovation Strategy and the UAE Vision 2021 based on “innovation, research and technology will form the pillars of a knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy, driven by entrepreneurs in a business-friendly environment where public and private sectors form effective partnerships”. In this context, Krypto Labs is focusing on bringing forward the best technologies from around the world to share their ideas and showcase their products.

(Press release/ran)