After raising €1 million in 2016, Donecle has completed a second funding round of €5.6 million. The majority of this funding has been provided by two new investors, one of which is AkzoNobel (Netherlands).
Founded in 2015, Donecle is a French company specialising in automated inspection by drone. Donecle’s drone-based inspections offer a safer, repeatable and reliable alternative to conventional procedures for airlines, repair centres and other industry players.
AkzoNobel and Donecle share the same vision, as Donecle’s CEO Matthieu Claybrough explains: “We are very pleased to announce the completion of this funding round, which testifies to the trust that our customers, partners and investors all place in us. We're also thrilled to be able to count on players who share our vision and are working with us to make it a reality. By investing in our future, AkzoNobel is helping us ramp up our inspection capabilities and scale them in their respective markets.”
AkzoNobel manufacturers of paint and high-performance coatings. The partnership between AkzoNobel and Donecle has contributed to the development of AkzoNobel’s new digital, data-driven predictive maintenance service. Its "Aerofleet Coatings Management" uses the data collected by Donecle drones to monitor and proactively manage coatings on individual aircraft within airline fleets.
Patrick Bourguignon, BU Director, AkzoNobel Automotive & Specialty Coatings, says the investment reflects the company’s strategy of partnering with best-in-class technologies: “It matches our commitment to developing new and ever more innovative services and solutions that help our aerospace customers to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and support a significantly more sustainable operation.”
Donecle said that the increase in capital strengthens its “dominant position in the emerging market for aircraft inspections by drone”. The funds raised will be used to expand marketing activities and accelerate production. Proceeds will also be used to fast-track ongoing qualification programmes with all the major aircraft manufacturers while extending their scope to include new capabilities under development, such as artificial intelligence for automatic detection and classification, and the Iris dentCHECK for 3D measurement of certain types of damage.