Reykjavik-based startup Flygildi has made a notable funding announcement, securing $2.2 million in seed funding from a diverse array of backers. Flygildi specializes in developing innovative drones, notably the Silent Flyer, which replicates bird-like flight for quiet and versatile applications in both military and civilian sectors. This funding package includes support from prominent Icelandic business angels including leading investor, Hermann Kristjansson, as well as venture capital firms like InfoCapital, complemented by significant government grants.
Founded in 2012 by Hjalti Harðarson and Dr. Leifur Þór Leifsson, Flygildi brings over two decades of international experience in developing and commercializing Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (AUVs). Their patented wing design not only minimizes noise emissions to below 70dB but also allows for customizable appearances, positioning Flygildi at the forefront of the silent, small-scale Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) arena. The company is actively exploring strategic partnerships and technological advancements, including potential collaborations with academic institutions like Purdue University and Nanom, to further enhance the Silent Flyer’s capabilities and efficiency.
Central to Flygildi’s innovation is the Silent Flyer drone, designed to replicate the appearance and flight patterns of birds. What sets it apart is its propulsion system, which ditches traditional rotors in favor of flapping wings, resulting in exceptionally quiet and stealthy operations. Originally conceived for military applications, the Silent Flyer is now being explored for various civilian use cases, including surveillance for fishing vessels, combatting human and drug trafficking, addressing environmental concerns, and countering animal poaching.
“Flygildi is very excited to at last publicly showcase the years of design and iterative development that have gone into our prototype — we are looking forward to hearing from our peers in the UAV industry segment about their opinions concerning the unique design and capabilities of the Silent Flyer,” said Björg Ormslev Ásgeirsdóttir, CEO of Flygildi. “We are hoping to gain both partners and feedback as we finalize the design of Silent Flyer and take it into manufacturing for a range of civilian and military applications where only our solution is uniquely applicable.”
Hermann Kristjansson, leading investor, said, “The Silent Flyer project is both very interesting and challenging since it is about expanding the boundary of human knowledge and applying technology to imitate the extremely complicated nature of birds flying. Supporting the strong development project group in reaching milestones in the basic technology development, close enough to be used in specific applications or products, is really exciting considering the diverse applications possible for the technology.”
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Originally published on ArcticStartup : Original article