Drone Volt rescues Aerialtronics

DRONE VOLT, a major French manufacturer of professional drones, has announced that it will take the majority control of the main assets of the the Dutch company, Aerial Group B.V. (“AERIALTRONICS”)

This strategic operation is the perfect complement to DRONE VOLT’s technological expertise and production capacity in order to strengthen its position in Europe.

Olivier Gualdoni, the CEO of DRONE VOLT, stated that: “We continue to be faithful to our business plans focused on organic growth and a very careful analysis of external growth opportunities. Our acquisition of the knowledge base of AERIALTRONICS will enable us to enhance our product offerings, specifically in the field of security. We are also taking on a second production site that puts us in a prime position to foresee and cover the demand in Europe for professional drones. This transaction is being conducted under highly favourable financial terms for our shareholders and will allow us to create value.”

AERIALTRONICS has developed an acknowledged level of expertise in designing and manufacturing professional drones for civilian uses by drawing on the considerable potential of artificial intelligence and big data analytics. Its product offerings are built around the ALTURA ZENITH surveillance system, data capture modules (audio, video, physical parameters, etc.) and software for the processing and analysis of the data collected.

AERIALTRONICS, based in Katwijk in the Netherlands, had some twenty employees and was declared bankrupt by the commercial court of The Hague on September 18, 2017. It had a broad client base, mainly police forces and government agencies, in some ten countries where DRONE VOLT was not present.

Thanks to this transaction, DRONE VOLT will, therefore, have a new industrial and commercial base in Europe to expand its offer of design engineering services intended for major corporations and government agencies, as well as its value-added services, specifically DRONE VOLT ACADEMY.

DRONE VOLT will set the new structure up with its worldwide distribution network, particularly in France and Africa, regions where AERIALTRONICS did not have a presence.
DRONE VOLT will also benefit from a production unit and an R&D department with a knowledge base that supplements that of the mother company, specifically in the cameras sector, with real-time data analysis performed by a built in processor with a 1 teraflop capacity.

The sale contract (“Contract”) comprises the main assets of AERIALTRONICS (intellectual property and inventory) and provides for the transfer of all employees sharing the group values. The Contract was signed on 18 September 2017 between the court-appointed liquidator and a physical person who will be replaced, in the next few days, by a Dutch company currently being founded, to be called Aerialtronics DV B.V. (“Newco”).

The Contract calls for a down payment of 325,500 euros and a top-up price of 475,500 euros, to be spread over 2017, 2018 and 2019. DRONE VOLT has committed to subscribe to 100,400 euros of Newco’s capital stock in return for 50.2% of the shares. This acquisition of assets will include 200,000 euros put up by Newco, with the balance to come in the form of bonds from partner business angels, Based on a new corporate structure with 50.2% ownership, some of whom are already shareholders in DRONE VOLT.