French drone company Tonner Drones has signed an agreement to acquire autonomous surveillance specialist Azur Drones, bringing Skeyetech into its portfolio.
French drone company Tonner Drones has signed an agreement to acquire autonomous surveillance specialist Azur Drones, bringing the Skeyetech system into its portfolio.
The deal will give Tonner Drones access to Azur Drones’ technology, assets, and key employees, with the transaction structured through a liquidation proceeding and subject to court approval.
Azur Drones has invested more than 50 million euros ($58 million) in research and development in the Skeyetech technology, which provides autonomous aerial surveillance for sensitive infrastructure, military facilities, and other high-security sites.
Tonner Drones CEO Diede van den Ouden described the deal as a way to enter the defense and drone markets while limiting the financial risk to the company.
Under a separate partnership with Dutch firm Drone Volt, Azur Drones will continue serving its European customers and focus on defense and government markets.
Skeyetech
Skeyetech is an autonomous drone-in-a-box system developed for continuous surveillance and inspection. A drone can launch from a docking station, conduct a patrol or inspection mission, and return to the station without requiring an on-site pilot. The system can also integrate with video management systems used by security operators.
Azur Drones said Skeyetech has completed more than 62,000 autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights and has been deployed in 11 countries. Its applications include perimeter security, infrastructure inspection, and support during security incidents.
The system has previously been deployed across Europe and the Middle East.
In 2020, Dutch company Bavak Security Group signed an agreement to distribute Skeyetech in the Netherlands, where it was intended for critical infrastructure and could be integrated with existing security systems.
