Investment in the drone industry is still going strong, as an Azur Drones funding announcement indicates.  The French drone manufacturer has received an additional $2.9 million in new financing from a private investor, bringing the total financing for the autonomous drone solutions provider to almost $29 million over four years.

This most recent round of financing is designed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the current Covid-19 health care crisis, and to add to its management team.  The company also recently announced a partnership with Axis  to improve it’s solution for security for sensitive sites.

This week’s Azur Drones funding announcement highlights the significance of autonomous drone platforms for commercial applications and in COVID-19 response, as industrial and enterprise customers seek new ways to work with limited staffing and new distancing requirements.

“The pandemic has highlighted a need for automation and new technology to guarantee continued industrial activity and limit human exposure during interventions,” says an Azur Drones press release.

“The resulting economic crisis also requires businesses and States to optimize their indirect costs by using technology that supplements human systems. Our SKEYETECH solution is completely in line with this logic and we are delighted by this fundraising that will make it possible to fulfill an ever-growing order book,” explained Jean-Marc CREPIN, CEO of Azur Drones.

In addition to internal promotions, Azur is bringing on new talent.  Emilie Leruste is joining Azur Drones as CFO. She has 15 years of experience with the General Electric Group.

“We are delighted with the arrival of Emilie Leruste in our management team. Her recruitment, combined with the extra fundraising, will make it possible for us to sustain the ramping up of our production and customer deployment activities. We have already launched new recruitment campaigns for engineers and technicians.”, explains Nicolas Billecocq, Chief Operating Officer of Azur Drones.