Paris-based deep-tech startup Rift has successfully closed a €4.6 million funding round to accelerate the deployment of its autonomous aerial intelligence network across Europe. The significant investment aims to establish the continent’s first on-demand drone-based surveillance infrastructure, targeting public safety and critical infrastructure protection.
Bolstering European Aerial Intelligence with New Capital
The funding round, announced on November 20, 2025, comprised €3 million in equity from New York-based AlleyCorp and Paris-based OVNI Capital, supplemented by €1.6 million in public funding. This capital injection is earmarked to scale the production of Rift’s innovative autonomous drone stations and expand its operational network from a central command center in the Paris region. Rift’s co-founder and CEO, Daniel Nef, articulated the company’s vision, stating, “Our ambition is to equip Europe with a sovereign and resilient aerial intelligence infrastructure, dedicated to public safety and critical infrastructure.”
Rift’s “Surveillance-as-a-Service” Model
Founded in 2023 by Daniel Nef and Dorian Millière, Rift is developing a “Surveillance-as-a-Service” model that combines advanced hardware and proprietary software to offer continuous, on-demand aerial monitoring. The system is designed to provide real-time decision aid by acting as a “missing link between satellites and ground teams,” capable of performing reconnaissance missions in minutes without a pilot on site.
Key Technological Components
Rift’s integrated platform consists of three core technologies:
- Long-endurance VTOL Drones: Internally designed Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) drones built using 3D-printed carbon fiber composite, allowing for rapid and cost-efficient production.
- Autonomous Deployment Stations: Shipping-container-sized stations that house multiple drones and operate in continuous relay, ensuring 24/7 aerial coverage. These stations eliminate the need for permanent field teams.
- RiftOS Software Platform: The company’s proprietary mission-control software that enables centralized piloting and remote operation of the entire network.
This full-stack approach promises to deliver aerial surveillance at costs up to ten times lower than traditional methods like helicopter surveillance, primarily by eliminating pilot salaries, helicopter maintenance, fuel costs, and support crew deployment.
Addressing Critical Needs in Europe
Rift’s initiative comes at a time of increasing geopolitical and climate risks, which underscore the need for advanced surveillance capabilities to protect critical infrastructure and borders. Traditional aerial surveillance methods are often costly and inefficient, leading to limited missions and potential blind spots.
Target Use Cases and Applications
The company’s platform is designed to support a wide array of operational use cases, including:
- Detecting early wildfire outbreaks.
- Monitoring highway accidents and incident scenes.
- Tracking illegal border crossings and suspicious movements along frontiers.
- Overseeing critical infrastructure such as pipelines, power lines, and railways for leaks, damage, or intrusions.
By providing early aerial visibility over vast areas, Rift aims to enable faster coordination for authorities and operators, limiting damage and reducing safety risks.
Future Outlook and European Sovereignty
The startup plans aggressive expansion, using the new funding to industrialize its technology and scale deployments over the next two years. By the end of 2026, Rift aims to double its workforce across R&D, data science, certification, and manufacturing. A key objective is to achieve full mission-cycle automation by 2027, encompassing planning, execution, anomaly detection, and reporting without human intervention at each step. This automation roadmap aligns with broader European goals for border security and critical site protection, where responsiveness and cost control are paramount.
Furthermore, Rift emphasizes data sovereignty, ensuring that all data captured by its drones remains within European borders, a crucial selling point as Europe strives for technological independence. This focus contributes to a wider continental push toward sovereign aerial intelligence and autonomous-drone infrastructure, a sector seeing significant investment across Europe. Rift’s efforts are also geared towards securing SAIL III/IV regulatory approvals, paving the way for EU-wide expansion of its autonomous surveillance network.
