French aviation tech startup Donecle has raised €10 million ($11.7 million) to expand its AI-driven drone platform for aircraft inspections. The funding, co-led by IRDI Capital Investissement and SWEN Capital Partners with participation from GSO Innovation and ARIS Occitanie, targets international growth in Europe and the United States.
This capital injection accelerates Donecle’s push into commercial aviation markets, where its autonomous drones perform inspections up to 10 times faster than manual methods. The Toulouse-based company, founded in 2015, integrates high-resolution imaging with AI analysis to detect defects like cracks and lightning strikes more efficiently.
Key plans include team expansion, advanced AI development, and strategic partnerships to enhance automation in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations. At MRO Europe 2024, Donecle highlighted AI’s role in filtering routine images, easing technician workloads while combining machine precision with human oversight.
The investment positions Donecle to capture demand for faster, data-rich inspections amid rising global fleet sizes and MRO pressures. It aligns with 2025-2026 trends in drone-enabled maintenance technologies, bolstering operational efficiency for airlines and lessors.