Flyability: From EPFL to the Skies

Celebrating 15 years of the Top100 Swiss Startup Award, we spotlight the pioneers who have pushed their industries forward. Among them is Flyability, recognized multiple times as a Top100 Swiss Startup, a two-time Venture Leaders participant, and a Venture Kick funding recipient. Founded as an EPFL spin-off more than a decade ago, Flyability has grown into a global reference for indoor and confined-space drone inspection, enabling safer, faster, and more efficient industrial operations. Co-founder Patrick Thevoz shares what it took to turn a university idea into a trusted technology used by major industrial players worldwide.

As Top100 marks its 15th anniversary, the robotics company Flyability shows how academic research can translate into real-world impact. In this interview, co-founder and CEO Patrick Thevoz looks back on the company’s growth, from early prototypes to next-generation inspection drones, the challenges of scaling deeptech hardware, and the lessons learned while building a category-defining company in industrial robotics.

Flyability co-founders: CTO Adrien Briod and CEO Patrick Thévoz

Do you remember your first drone that could fly safely in confined spaces? 
We left EPFL in 2013 with a first prototype that we believed we only had to turn into a product. The vision was clear from the beginning. We wanted to remove humans from dangerous environments by using insect-inspired robotics capable of navigating complex spaces. What we underestimated was how long and demanding the journey from that vision to real market leadership would be.
 

“Invest a lot in innovation.” 

What was your first prototype or test flight like?
To make things even more challenging, our very first customer was based in Japan. At the same time, our co-founder Adrien, who was the only one fully mastering the technology back then, became a father on the exact day we were supposed to fly out for the first live demonstration. The outcome was that we quickly learned several polite ways of saying, “sorry, there are still a few things to improve” in Japanese. 

Co-founder Adrien Briod at Flyability’s first assembly workshop in 2014, working in the EPFL labs at night

How is Flyability evolving with 100 employees? 
We are now close to 140 people, with teams spread across several continents. Revenue continues to grow at a strong pace, and innovation remains a major focus for us. 

 
What drives Flyability’s customer growth and funding success? 
It comes down to balance. We spend a lot of time in the field with customers to truly understand how they work and what they need. At the same time, we maintain a strong long-term vision and keep pushing the technology forward. Advances in LIDAR, battery systems, AI, and onboard computing over the past decade have played a key role in making this possible. 
 

“It’s a fine balance between understanding
real use cases, vision, and technology.” 

 
From EPFL spin-off to global player — which milestones stand out? 
There were strong emotions when closing major funding rounds or receiving awards such as EY Entrepreneur of the Year or the one-million-dollar Drones for Good prize. But the moments that matter most are those in the field. Seeing how our technology improves safety and efficiency in critical infrastructure is what truly counts. This year alone, our customers will perform close to 200,000 flights with our drones.

Flyability's testing sessions

How do you design drones to operate safely where humans can’t? 
We do not just build drones. We design complete inspection solutions for customers in energy, mining, water management, maritime, and other heavy industries. That requires expertise across many engineering disciplines and a development process that stays close to the customer. In the end, success comes from continuously balancing real-world use cases, a clear vision, and technological progress.