Delair Leverages Intel Funding with Drone Data Platform

A French-based drone provider just piloted its way into a lucrative funding round with the world’s largest processor giant.

Commercial drone solution provider Delair closed an expanded investment deal with Intel Capital, following a year of collaboration on the Intel Insight Platform. The cloud-based, digital-asset management system will allow Intel to optimize data analytics by leveraging Delair’s aerial capabilities.

According to a press release, Intel’s drone-enhanced platform will allow “customers to store organize, share, and harness the rich data provided by commercial drone systems.”

“This investment, built on an ongoing relationship with Delair, will help make aerial-based data collection and analysis an effective business intelligence approach for more enterprises,” said Anil Nanduri, Vice President, General Manager of Drones Group, Intel Corporation.

Aerial data provided by Delair’s system integrated into the platform can generate 2D/3D models, take measurements, enable sharing and collaboration across teams and deploy a wide-range of data analytics and monitoring tools.

Michael de Lagarde, CEO of Delair, states:

“Data is the future of the commercial drone business and that’s why we are excited about this investment from Intel Capital. Intel brings a wealth of technical expertise and experience, as well as new enterprise customers. Whilst Delair’s innovation on the hardware side of our UAV offering is well recognized, our relationship with Intel provides us with increased resources to build out the critical data analysis software components of our UAV solution – an area where we believe we can truly differentiate and bring additional value to customers.”

In April, Delair announced the global availability of the UX11 fixed-wing UAV following a round of final tests, a move that allows the company to set its sights on the growing mapping/surveying drone sector catering to industrial-level markets – construction, oil and gas, utilities, mining, agriculture and transportation.

In June, Delair inked a sales agreement with Cansel, a Canadian provider of surveying and mapping solutions. The deal directs sales of Delair’s UX 11 long-range drone, with plans to include the company’s full product line. The agreement also means Delair fixed-wing drones are now certified as compliant by Transport Canada.