Aviant, a drone logistics company, has recently unveiled Kyte, its home delivery service. Aimed at sparsely populated regions and vacation homes in Norway, Kyte employs drones to deliver groceries, takeaway food, and non-prescription medicines. In an effort to enhance accessibility to vital prescription medications, Aviant secured a funding of $1 million from Innovation Norway. This funding will support the autonomous delivery of prescription drugs from pharmacies directly to people residing in remote and suburban areas.
Established in 2020 by Lars Erik Fagernæs, Herman Øie Kolden, and Bernhard Paus Græsdal at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Aviant has made significant strides in the field. With over 2,500 autonomous flights covering more than 35,000 km across Norway and Sweden, the company has demonstrated its capabilities. During the pandemic, Aviant played a crucial role in transporting COVID-19 tests and blood samples between district and central hospitals in Norway.
Aviant's drones have received certification under EU regulations, enabling them to operate autonomous flights within the union. These drones possess an impressive range, capable of flying up to 120 km in a straight line. In practical terms, Aviant offers its drone delivery services within a 30 km radius for return flights, surpassing the 2-3 km range of other providers such as Google Wing or Manna Drone Delivery.
The ability to cover vast distances efficiently is of paramount importance to Aviant, given their focus on areas facing mobility challenges. Poor roads, long distances, and inclement weather conditions necessitate the need for expedient services. Lars Erik Fagernæs highlights this by stating,
"Our technology proved critical for rural healthcare services during the pandemic, where winter road closures meant our drones were the only link between COVID-19 test sites and laboratories in Central Norway. Now, with the launch of Kyte and our funding from Innovation Norway, Luminar Ventures, and Bring Ventures, we are able to provide people in remote and hard-to-reach areas with the groceries and medical supplies they need, directly to their doorstep, with no traffic restrictions and minimal climate emissions."
Customers can easily request drone delivery through the Kyte app, available on both iOS and Android devices. Once an order is placed, the items are loaded onto a drone at Kyte's home base, which then autonomously delivers the package before returning to the base. To date, Kyte has completed deliveries spanning over 4,000 km, with an average delivery time of just 24 minutes.
It's worth noting that Aviant successfully raised a seed round of $2.4 million in September 2022, led by Bring Ventures, the venture arm of the Norwegian postal service. The company is currently planning to establish a second base in Norway, with the aim of providing door-to-door deliveries to 20,000-30,000 remote vacation homes.
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