Aero41 on the rise

Aero41 has turned the page of the pandemic. Since the summer of 2021, the co-founders of the startup, Frédéric Hemmeler and Quentin Collet, have spared no effort, spending time with their customers and continuously improving their solutions according to their needs. These efforts have paid off in a market that is growingly concerned with sustainability, efficiency and organic production as Aero41 CEO, Frédéric Hemmeler explains to Startupticker.ch. And the numbers speak for themselves, with more than 30 drones delivered and high customer satisfaction.

Earlier this summer, the Swiss Agro-tech Startup completed a seed funding round of CHF 700’000 led by Boundary Holding, a European deep-tech investment firm. Aero41 will utilize the funds to explore the future for farmers based on the most innovative technologies, add other crops to their service areas and expand sales in Europe and the US.

Integrating technology in the agricultural sector is an inescapable reality today, considering the numerous challenges pain points that farmers otherwise face. Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture to control harmful pests and prevent crop yield losses. But pesticides may cause undesirable effects to human health and to the environment when done manually. Farmers are routinely exposed to high levels of pesticides, which mostly occur during the preparation and application of the pesticide spray solutions. Farmers who mix, load, and spray pesticides can be exposed to these chemicals due to spills and splashes and direct spray contact. The use UAVs in crop spraying is considered safer and more precise than the conventional methods. Nearly everyone working on the future of modern agriculture is focused on efficiency.

Pioneering Smart Agriculture from Switzerland

Developed in Switzerland by Aero 41, the 17-litre AGv2 is specifically designed to meet the stringent requirements for work in vineyards and vertically growing, added-value crops. At 10.5 km per hour, its superior processing speed helps save time when moving from one area to the other during spraying campaign. Its optimized spraying ramp allows ideal distribution. This solution is increasingly being preferred by organic farmers as it allows automated operations with minimal human intervention.  

Rajat Khare, founder of Boundary Holding, is expecting his company’s latest investment to help spur growth in this increasingly developing sector. “Drone usage in the agricultural sector is booming. Drone sprayers are able to navigate very hard to reach areas, such as steep tea fields at high elevations. They also save workers from having to navigate fields with backpack sprayers, which can be hazardous to their health. Aero 41’s technology can be targeted to specific areas to maximize efficiency and save on chemical costs.”

Tapping a fast-growing global market

The global smart agriculture market size was valued at approximately $16 billion in 2019 and is estimated to reach $29 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 9.7% from 2021 to 2027. This rising trend is reflected in how farming is done in several countries today. Agriculture technology is penetrating the market at an accelerated pace in modern farms and agricultural operations, allowing businesses to be more profitable, efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly.

(PR - ES)