4.6 million euros for Rift

The French deep-tech start-up Rift has closed a financing round of 4.6 million euros. The round was led by US investor AlleyCorp, with French fund OVNI Capital also participating. The company intends to use the capital to drive forward the expansion of its real-time aerial reconnaissance network, which will be used in particular to protect critical infrastructure, national territories and the civilian population.

A global network for real-time visual data

Rift is developing a decentralized system of autonomous drones that enables continuous visual surveillance in real time. The platform is to be used in sensitive areas such as maritime surveillance, forest fire detection, emergency operations or monitoring pipelines, power lines and railroad lines.

The basis for this is a full-stack technology consisting of VTOL drones, autonomous launch stations and the proprietary RiftOS software, which enables fully remote-controlled operations without personnel on site.

Increasing demand due to geopolitical and climatic risks

The importance of reliable aerial reconnaissance is growing. Geopolitical tensions and climate-induced risks such as forest fires or extreme weather events are increasing the need to monitor critical areas. However, traditional solutions such as helicopters or manned aerial missions are expensive and labor-intensive.

Rift is positioning itself here as an economical alternative. The Surveillance-as-a-Service model is designed to offer flexible and cost-efficient access to surveillance capacities without infrastructure operators or authorities having to make high initial investments. At the same time, according to the company, the data collected remains under the sovereign control of the client.

Wide range of applications and central control

The drone platform is already being tested for various scenarios, including

• Early detection of forest fires
• Analysis of traffic accidents
• Border monitoring
• Monitoring pipelines and energy infrastructure

The combination of aircraft, stations and software means that operations can be controlled centrally from one location in France. This approach should significantly reduce costs compared to conventional methods and reduce the need for teams in the field.

Regulatory edge through close cooperation with authorities

According to Rift, it works closely with the French aviation authority DGAC and European institutions to enable long-term and transnational BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations. This is seen as a crucial prerequisite for the Europe-wide deployment of autonomous drone systems.

Expansion of production and development of autonomous deployment cycles

With the new funding, Rift plans to ramp up production of its autonomous drone stations. The container-sized stations can accommodate several drones, which ensure continuous 24/7 monitoring in shift operation.

At the same time, the company is working on AI-supported automation of the entire mission chain, from planning to reporting. By 2027, missions should be able to run completely without human intervention.

European expansion and staff increase planned

In the medium term, Rift is preparing to expand its network to particularly sensitive European regions. These include border areas and areas with an increased risk of sabotage or security incidents.

The company plans to double its workforce by the end of 2026 and invest more in areas such as research and development, data analysis, certification and production. Initial pilot projects with government and industrial partners have already been launched.