UBIQ Aerospace secures financing to continue development of autonomous icing protection solution for UAS

November 3, 2020 | AUVSI News

UBIQ Aerospace, a deep-tech startup that uses cutting-edge research to create innovative products that greatly enhance autonomous and unmanned aircraft capabilities, has announced that it has secured financing in a second seed round.

UBIQ Aerospace has raised capital from New York investment firm Lupa Investment Holdings to continue the partnership set to introduce the D•ICE solution, which UBIQ Aerospace says is the world’s first autonomous icing protection solution for autonomous and unmanned aircraft.

“Securing financing in the current pandemic-stricken environment is a testament that UBIQ [Aerospace] is significantly surpassing expectations,” says Kim Lynge Sørensen, founder, and CEO of UBIQ Aerospace.

“The continued partnership with Lupa [Investment Holdings] will enable us to realize our ambitions and help take UBIQ and our combination of novel D•ICE products to our target markets.”

This year, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense granted UBIQ Aerospace a development contract worth NOK 23,9 million. The goal is to create and industrialize smart sensors and autonomous systems to detect and eliminate ice on airframes, sensors, and propellers of autonomous and unmanned aircraft. The company’s short term focus is on providing products to upcoming UAS defense acquisition programs.

“We at FFI [the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment] have followed UBIQ Aerospace for many years with great interest. I believe that the enhanced capabilities provided by UBIQ and their autonomous adverse weather technologies will be mission-critical components for the UAS activities of the Norwegian Armed Forces in the future,” explains Morten Hansbø, principal scientist of defense systems in the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment.

“We are on a trajectory to be the provider of the only available solution for unmanned aircraft for all upcoming defense tactical UAS acquisition decisions.”

Long-term ambitions include a commercial focus, where the solutions in UBIQ’s portfolio have a high potential for impact in UAS and urban air mobility (UAM) industries. NOK 26,9 million has been granted in additional research funding for UBIQ Aerospace, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and other partners. The combined efforts will look to enhance UAS capabilities in cold climates further.

In February, the airframe ice protection technology, which is one element of the D•ICE solution, provided by UBIQ Aerospace, was introduced to the UAS market. Maritime Robotics, a test partner, became the first UAS manufacturer to perform UAS operations with the integrated technology after acquiring it for its customizable and arctic-capable UAS known as Falk.