Viking Drone joins the Hub
The drone technology company Viking Drone joined the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub at the Danish Technological Institute in December. CEO and Founder Rasmus Gupta describes how the platform is created for developers to use as an easy and reliable foundation for their drone-based development ideas, enabling simple and smart drone implementation. Gupta also talks about what Viking Drone hopes to achieve during their time in the Hub – and their hunt for investors.
Can you describe your technology and why it’s unique?
At Viking Drone, we design and manufacture drone platforms specifically for drone developers and the future inclusion of drones in Industry 5.0. Our drone platforms differ because we include a combination of technologies such as: on-board super computers capable of AI computation or other demanding software, fast internet connection via cellular mobile network (4G) and modular and future-proof platforms. This will pave the way for new, innovative companies to apply the platform to their own tool, sensor or software solution, so we can become an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and a supplier to their total solution.
We are very focused on safety and user experience. We will include a lot of existing safety features from mobile robotics to take our drone platform to a new level of safety compared to other drones on the market. We believe drones should be just as safe to use as collaborative robots, which includes obstacle avoidance, indoor navigation, sensing and reacting to surroundings, and the ability to fly autonomously beyond visual line of sight. Our drone platform will also be weatherproof to endure all harsh outdoor conditions.
Furthermore, Viking Drone products will be available at a cost-effective price range, making them accessible for the future drone market, where it will be possible to implement more drones for various tasks instead of being restricted to a small selection of expensive drones.
Why did you apply to join the Hub and what do you hope to achieve during your stay?
We joined the Hub because we know it is the best place to be when working with robotics. There are a lot of exciting startups in the Hub and great facilities to use. At the same time, the help we are getting from Odense Robotics and their partners helps us develop our business faster and at a rate where we can meet our ambitious goals. We are already on our way to developing our first commercial product and being in the Hub will accelerate the process. So we hope to get far and maybe even release our product to customers during our stay. We also expect to meet a lot of potential customers or collaborative partners while being in the Hub, which will benefit the company for years to come.
What’s your greatest challenges and opportunities?
Due to the fast-moving drone market, it is important for our success that our product reaches the market as quickly as possible, which is why our main challenges are human resources and time. We have been fortunate to receive funding, however we could accelerate our development even more with investments. That is why we are starting our first round of investment pitches at the beginning of 2021, where we hope to get the right investor on board for our journey to come.
With our concept and drone platform, we can think of many exciting opportunities for the future to come. With easy access for tool and sensor attachment, we believe it will create many new opportunities for future drone integration and drone operation companies, and we would like to help facilitate that.
Has the corona crisis affected your business and what are you currently working on?
For Viking Drone, the spark that started the company was the corona crisis. Like many people, I had other plans at the beginning of 2020. I was going to relocate to Australia for a fresh new perspective after having worked as a drone engineer in Denmark. However, as the borders closed the advantages of pursuing my platform in Denmark became obvious, with the strong and well-established Odense Robotics community at our doorstep.
With special initiatives from Innovationsfonden following the crisis, it became possible for us to apply for funding through their Innobooster programme and get started immediately. As we are working in a small group of four, the corona restrictions have luckily not affected us or caused any delays to our product development.
How did your company start and who is part of the team today?
I founded the company after having worked for three years as a drone engineer, where I got to use a wide range of drones. This I how I came to see the need for a drone platform that could do much more than the options available today.
Working alongside me, we have Frederik Roest Sørensen from Denmark, Mechanical Engineer with six years of technical key account management experience from the wind industry, and Philip Salmony from Germany, Senior Electrical and Control Systems Engineer, who has experience from MBDA (Airbus) designing electronics for aviation and even has his own YouTube channel “Phil’s Lab”, teaching PCB design. Finally, we have Natasha Goodwin, Head of Marketing, from New Zealand, who has headed the marketing of several startups in the past.
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Or contact:
Ernest Fuller, Business Development Manager, Startups, Odense Robotics
Phone: +45 29 64 92 22, mail: ernfu@odenserobotics.dk