A high-tech wind turbine inspections company has secured its largest-ever investment thanks to a consortium of investors. Bristol-based
Perceptual Robotics, which has sites throughout Europe, provides services and technology for autonomous wind turbine inspections using artificial intelligence (AI) and drones. The company will use the £2.7 million funding to plan its expansion into North America and Latin America, as well as double its team. It is the latest step for the company, which earlier this year announced it had launched operations in Southeast Asia.
Perceptual Robotics CEO Kostas Karachalios said: “We are thrilled to announce this latest round of funding. Not only will the new investment help us grow worldwide, it will also enhance our product offering and further develop and expand our existing products. Perceptual Robotics has a proud history in inspecting and processing data from wind turbines and blades onshore with trusted partners across Europe and the UK. With this latest investment, we look forward to continuing our vital work into offshore inspections and advanced analytics, guaranteeing our customers have everything they need to ensure their assets are delivering time and again.”
Historically, previous investment rounds have enabled Perceptual Robotics to commercialise its products, including the deployment of its ‘DOT’ drone, its popular self-service offering, which customers pilot themselves to perform inspections.
Investors in this round, led by OnePlanetCapital, include L-Stone Capital together with a renewed investment by existing investors Brookstreet, Deeptech Labs, TSP Ventures and Metavallon VC. As well as benefitting financially, Perceptual Robotics will gain valuable support from OnePlanetCapital’s experience in sustainability, energy, operations and maintenance.
Anthony Chant, investment director at
OnePlanetCapital, the climate change-focused early-stage venture capital fund, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Perceptual Robotics with their continued growth into new geographies and products. An investment by OnePlanetCapital means so much more than just receiving funding. We look forward to providing Perceptual Robotics with the support and counsel they may need in order to continue to turn their dreams into a success.”
Perceptual Robotics’ self-service technology uses drones to collect high-quality wind turbine data in less than 20min. After landing, an AI system automatically processes the images to detect any damage and quickly provides clients with all the information they need to carry out preventive maintenance, dramatically reducing turbine downtime, increasing safety and cutting costs. Perceptual Robotics also offers data-processing services with AI to detect damages in images provided by its customers.