Aerones, a Riga-based robot-enabled wind turbine maintenance and inspection company, has secured $30M in growth capital co-led by new investors Lightrock and Haniel.
Blume Equity participated in the round with existing investors, including Change Ventures, Metaplanet, Mantas Mikuckas, Metaplanet, Pace Ventures, and Future Positive Capital.
Last year, Lightrock closed its inaugural Lightrock Climate Impact Fund (LCIF) with commitments of €860M, after raising its initial hard cap.
The Latvian company will use the funds to grow its technical and sales functions, increase the number of robot service teams, expand into new fast-growing markets, including Africa and Australia, and bring new services/robots to market.
Dainis Kruze, co-founder & CEO of Aerones, comments, “Global challenges mean our mission – ensuring the effective operation of global wind power capacity – and our robot-enabled solutions have never been more important or in demand. With the support of our new and existing investors, we look forward to further scaling our operations, investing in our technology, and enhancing our offering.”
Robotising wind turbine maintenance
Founded by Dainis Kruze and Janis Putrams, Aerones aims to transform the wind turbine blade maintenance industry through robot-enabled solutions.
According to the company, it is six times faster, 40 per cent more efficient, and much safer than conventional solutions, which involve certified rope access technicians who are slower, in short supply, and unable to operate in poor weather conditions.
Started as a basic inspection service in 2019, Aerones’ patented modular robotic solution now enables the company to provide a full suite:
- Inspection (external visual, internal blade, lighting protection, ultrasound)
- Maintenance (painting, ice-phobic coating, blade, and tower cleaning) Repair (leading edge) services
Currently, the company serves customers representing 50 percent of the world’s wind power capacity, including leading operators such as NextEra, GE, Vestas, Enel, and Siemens Gamesa.
The Company currently operates across North America, Europe, and South America.
Nigel McCleave, at Lightrock, says, “Aerones has developed a unique robotic platform that generates real ROI for customers in a huge growth market. We’re excited to be backing Dainis, Janis, and the Aerones team as they continue reducing costs and inefficiencies in the global wind industry.”
Philipp Goehre, Growth Capital Lead at Haniel, says, “We are extremely proud to partner with Aerones, which is rethinking how wind turbines will be serviced going forward. It’s a perfect fit for our climate tech investment focus, and we will actively support the company leveraging our experience and network.”
Aerones maintains a European headquarters in Riga, Latvia, and a North American headquarters in San Jose, USA.
