Dutch startup AirHub soars with €1M investment to help businesses manage drone operations | Silicon Canals

Valkenburg and Groningen, The Netherlands-based AirHub, a drone software & consultancy company, announced on Tuesday that it has secured €1M from LUMO Labs and Lumaux.

The latest capital infusion will allow AirHub to strengthen its operations in Europe and accelerate its expansion into the Middle East, Asia, and South America.

“In an increasingly complex and fragile world, drones have become an essential tool for keeping our society operational’, says Stephan van Vuren, co-CEO of AirHub. 

“With the investment from LUMO and Lumaux, AirHub is poised to take the next step in automating drone operations on a large scale, ensuring safety, security, and efficiency,” adds Vuren. 

AirHub: Drone operation platform 

AirHub is on a mission to integrate drone technology into daily life and business operations. 

The Dutch company does it by offering a comprehensive suite of tools designed to ensure the safety and security of drone operations in an increasingly complex world. 

The Drone Operations Center is a software platform and dashboard used to manage drone fleets for security, critical infrastructure, and emergency response operations. 

The AirHub Drone Operations Center provides a significant enhancement to operational capabilities for critical infrastructure and emergency response operations. 

It ensures compliance with the strictest safety, security, and regulatory standards and comes with tailored applications for mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, and DJI Smart Controller. Additionally, it features an intuitive online dashboard.

“As AirHub continues to lead and innovate within the drone market, this strategic investment represents a significant step in our evolution,” says Thomas Brinkman, co-CEO of AirHub. 

“With the backing of LUMO and Lumaux, we are now more equipped than ever to respond to the increasing international demand and cement our position as industry leaders,” adds Brinkman. 

The investors

LUMO Labs, founded by Andy Lürling and Sven Bakkes, focuses on impact-driven software and smart hardware startups. 

The current LUMO Fund II is an impact-driven multi-stage capital fund (pre-seed up to and including series A). 

It includes a two-year venture builder program to support its portfolio companies in gaining financial success as well as social traction and impact.

LUMO Labs funds startups that align with at least one of the three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities & Communities, Good Health & Well-Being, and Quality Education. 

The fund’s investment focus includes Artificial Intelligence/Data, Blockchain, the Internet of Things, Robotics and Drones, and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality.

“AirHub Drone Operations Center is a lifesaving game-changer,” says Andy Lürling, Founding Partner of LUMO Labs. 

“Emerging technologies, including robotics and autonomous vehicles, hold the key, but their actual use to society is often held back as they face many challenges in meeting safety, security, and regulatory standards. AirHub helps overcome these obstacles and allows better use of drones in critical infrastructure and emergency response operations,” adds Lürling. 

“We are excited to support AirHub as they expand their influence globally and continue to set new standards in the drone industry”, says Sven Bakkes, Founding Partner of LUMO Labs. “It exemplifies our commitment to advancing technologies that make a significant impact.”

Lumaux is an investment fund that invests in high-tech startups and scale-ups founded in the Netherlands. 

The companies in its portfolio are innovative, technology-driven companies that have developed their products (software and hardware) and are active in the fields of robotics, energy transition, and mobility.

Lumaux provides all-round support in strategy, finance, legal affairs, and commercial aspects and aims to be a trusted advisor for the management teams of their portfolio companies.

“The mobile drone market is going to explode in the coming years, and we believe that AirHub is going to play a pivotal role worldwide to accelerate this industry and make mobile drone deployments safer and better,” says Freek Dielissen, Fund Manager at Lumaux. 

“AirHub’s management team has shown they have all the expertise, knowledge, network, and drive to make it a huge success! We very much look forward to working with them,” adds Dielissen.