Strategic-Technological Analysis of SenseFly (EPFL Spin-off, Switzerland)
SenseFly is a Swiss drone manufacturer that emerged from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) over a decade ago. This Lausanne-based spin-off, originally founded in 2009 by researchers including Professor Dario Floreano and his students, pioneered lightweight autonomous fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for high-resolution mapping and data collection[1][2]. Over time the company’s eBee series became a world-leading commercial mapping drone, logging over one million flights and collecting imagery for agencies ranging from surveying firms to border security services[1]. In 2021 senseFly was acquired by U.S. firm AgEagle Aerial Systems, integrating its Swiss R&D into a transatlantic enterprise. Today senseFly’s technology underpins advanced autonomous drones (including ISR versions) now deployed by European and NATO forces[3][4]. This report investigates senseFly’s strategic role in European defence, focusing on its technological portfolio, autonomy impact, and alignment with EU/NATO strategic objectives.