Existing delivery solutions are ineffective for low volumes and/or complex environments. Delivery vans are above 1.2T of structure which can be amortised only with over 200kg of cargo due to high labour and fuel costs, and existing drones are not developed for logistics which makes them unsuitable (medical, film-making, military) or poorly designed with important dead-weight.
The world needs an efficient and sustainable delivery drone solution, modular and scalable, that will empower local logistics.
Millions of people don't access delivery, or must pay high delivery surcharges for a very basic service.
A recent Scottish Parliament's Report revealed that 1 million Scottish were experiencing denial of service or "postcode penalties" (1/5 of the population).
The problem is global, affecting an estimated 5M people in the UK and 100M in Europe. It slows down the local economy and marginalise communities.
IONA develops autonomous drone solutions to reduce polluting and expensive dead driving times in low-density areas. We are an impact-for-profit start-up fighting rural marginalization and climate change.
Our zero-emissions Sonnet Quad drones carry cargo to and from remote locations, cutting straight and above complex terrains.
Their design make them perfectly suited for day-to-day logistics. It has been made possible thanks to intense R&D from IONA's Team and partnerships with the best Aerospace players in the United-Kingdom and Europe.
The Sonnet Quad is IP-pending, as the most energy-efficient UAV platform for cargo with electric-Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) capabilities.
The company was incorporated in October 2021 and the team cumulates over 60 years of experience in Aerospace.
Also, partners include: Cranfield University (Barclays Eagles Labs Incubator), The National Robotarium (R&D Centre), Cambridge Cleantech, The National Composites Centre (SME Boost Program), NVIDIA (Inception Program), Innovate UK (EDGE Program) and Highlands & Islands Enterprise - HIE (Delivery Trials - Scotland).
