Percepto Raises $67M Series C, Receives FAA Waiver, Ushering in New Era of Autonomous Drone Inspections at Industrial Sites

The company's FAA nationwide regulation waiver removes operational and cost barriers, enabling mass autonomous drone deployments across the U.S.

AUSTIN, Texas, June 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, announced today a combined $67M Series C in equity and debt funding, led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), alongside new investors Zimmer Partners and one of the largest U.S. energy companies. The round includes participation from existing investors U.S. Venture Partners, Delek US Holdings, Atento Capital, Spider Capital and Arkin Holdings, bringing the total investment in the company to more than $120 million, reflecting Percepto's strong performance and confidence in its robust offering.

Percepto recently received an unprecedented, nationwide Beyond Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver from the FAA, allowing the company to provide any US critical infrastructure site with remotely-operated automated drones without the need for site specific approvals from the FAA. A game changer for the industry, this waiver removes logistical and cost barriers, such as the need for radars or people on the ground, fueling the adoption of autonomous drone technology.

"KDT's reinvestment underlines their confidence in our ability to make companies more profitable by keeping infrastructure operational in the face of the unpredictable," said Percepto Co-founder and CEO Dor Abuhasira. "Organizations are increasingly discovering the benefits of autonomous and remote drone operations to automate facility inspections and data analysis across their sites. With this new round of funding, new strategic investors, and the new regulations that significantly increase the access to using autonomous drones, the conditions are ripe for the autonomous drone market to expand, and for Percepto to meet the growing demand for automated drone inspections and monitoring at industrial sites." 

Heavy industry confronts major challenges to operate efficiently, maintain reliable critical infrastructure, meet high productivity expectations, and increase safety levels - all in the face of complex, hazardous and often aging infrastructure assets. Percepto helps industrial companies save seven-figure amounts and meet these challenges by allowing real-time visibility into their facility's infrastructure integrity, and finding failures before they escalate into incidents. In one instance, an oil & gas customer using Percepto's Air Max OGI drone detected within hours a methane gas leak that could have gone unnoticed for months using conventional methods, saving the company millions of dollars, minimizing safety risks to workers, and preventing environmental damage.

"Percepto is a powerful force in boosting the accessibility of automated drones for industrial inspection and monitoring," said Chase Koch, Founder and CEO of Koch Disruptive Technologies. "Having deployed Percepto's technology across various Koch companies, we are experiencing first-hand how its innovative R&D improves inspection and monitoring. Their work to create a clear regulatory path for this technology puts it in a strong market position, firmly stationed at the forefront of the industry. We look forward to continuing our journey with Percepto as it sets the new standard for making industrial operations safe, efficient and sustainable."

Percepto Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM), the company's end-to-end visual inspection solution powered by autonomous drones, robots and AI, enables critical infrastructure sites to increase the frequency and quality of inspections via automation. The solution automates the entire visual inspection workflow, from data collection to AI-powered analysis and insights. With Percepto AIM, problems such as gas leaks, overheating and infrastructure deterioration are detected faster so companies, such as Siemens Energy, can take preventative measures to make sites more productive while minimizing the risk of environmental and safety incidents to meet their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals.

"Percepto's unique AI technology provides heavy industry with a path to maximize their efficiency and ensure smooth operations both in terms of providing a safe environment for workers and generating high productivity levels," said Siemens Energy Venture Partner Illai Gescheit. "We are impressed with Percepto's growth within a turbulent market, and look forward to working with them as they continue to pioneer drone regulations and innovations that will help deliver commercial value to our customers while fulfilling their environmental responsibilities."

About Percepto

Percepto is the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites remotely monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets.

Listed in TIME magazine's 100 Best Inventions of 2021, Percepto's AIM platform fully automates visual data workflows from capture to insight, leveraging the Percepto Air drone-in-a-box portfolio, alongside other robots and visual sensors. Using advanced machine learning and AI, Percepto AIM provides an end-to-end autonomous inspection and monitoring solution, to assess risk, minimize downtime, drive efficiency, increase safety and reduce operational costs.

Percepto's solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 customers on six continents including Siemens Energy, Delek US, across Koch Industries companies and ICL Dead Sea Works. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards including Edison Gold Award and Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. For more information, visit www.percepto.co.

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