Spanish drone developer Fuvex raises €1.7 million to fly high across Europe’s inspection skies
Fuvex, a Navarra-based drone startup developing long-range autonomous aerial systems, has secured €1.7 million in the first phase of its Series A funding round to grow into new verticals such as gas pipelines, agriculture, and security/defence, while also supporting international expansion across Europe and Latin America.
The raise is bolstered by an additional €1.5 million in public financing, with Sodena, the investment arm of the Government of Navarra, taking the lead by injecting €500k into the round.
“This was our first real round after more than a decade of development and production. We have managed to sign the largest drone inspection contract for the UFD-Naturgy electricity network, we have exceeded 25,000 km inspected, and we have generated interest from strategic investors that has pleasantly surprised us. This is just the beginning: we are already scaling up to gas pipelines, agriculture, and security/defense,” said Carlos Matilla Codesal, CEO and Co-founder of Fuvex.
Similar activity has been seen across Europe this year: Zurich-based Voliro raised €19.8 million to expand its aerial robots for infrastructure maintenance; fellow Swiss startup Flybotix secured €8.5 million to scale its confined-space drone inspections; and Germany’s Energy Robotics closed an €11.5 million Series A to advance its autonomous inspection software for energy and utilities.
Against this backdrop, Fuvex’s funding is smaller but strategically significant – marking Spain’s contribution to the growing European ecosystem of drone and robotic infrastructure inspection startups.
While its Swiss and German counterparts focus on industrial sites and confined environments, Fuvex differentiates itself through long-range aerial systems tailored to energy grids, pipelines, and security applications, expanding both the geographic and operational scope of Europe’s autonomous inspection capabilities.
Founded in 2013, the company specialises in drone-based inspection of critical infrastructure and has already logged more than 25,000 kilometres of power line inspections across Spain.
This marks Fuvex’s first external funding round following more than a decade of development and operations in a highly regulated and technologically demanding sector.
The company’s technology looks to replace traditional helicopter inspections with electric-powered, long-range drones capable of autonomous operations. Fuvex claims its aircraft deliver up to 92% cost savings while improving safety and data resolution – up to 1,000 times more detailed than satellite imaging.
These innovations have already attracted contracts from major energy players like UFD-Naturgy and Endesa.
“Supporting Fuvex in its growth is a clear example of how Sodena backs companies at all stages, reaffirming its commitment to establishing roots and generating value in Navarre through dual-use projects, both civil and defense, that apply technology and innovation to the development of high added-value solutions,” noted Iñaki Larraya Garayalde, managing director at Sodena.
The funding will enable Fuvex to cut operational costs by 33% this year, with projections to reach a 70% reduction by 2027. The startup aims to reach an annual inspection volume of 40,000 kilometres by 2026 and target a 71% market share in Spain by 2028.
Current expansion plans include entering the Portuguese, French, Italian, and Latin American markets.
Employing over 50 people, Fuvex expects to grow its team by an additional 15 to 25 hires in the next 18 months. These roles will focus on R&D, engineering, and drone operations.
The company’s strategic vision is to become the European leader in fully autonomous, long-range drones by 2030 – positioning itself at the crossroads of infrastructure safety, environmental sustainability, and wildfire prevention.
With seven patents under its belt and increasing institutional support – evidenced by a recent visit from Mikel Irujo, the Navarra Minister for Industry, Ecological Transition and Digital Business – Fuvex is shaping up as a notable player in Europe’s drone-based infrastructure inspection landscape.
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