Our harvesting drones
The technology
AirForestry enables the forestry of the future, efficient and non-invasive, with our flying thinning solution. The solution consists of multiple electric drones, each equipped with a harvesting tool, operating autonomously and monitored from a single Ground Control Station.
New technology – better forests
The future of thinning is flying
Using electric drones equipped with a lightweight, but powerful, harvesting tool, we have developed a system that thins forests directly from the air, with zero ground impact. Through multiple generations of prototypes, we have tested and refined the technology to lift trees with precision and control. Advanced software automatically identifies and selects the right trees, enabling traceable and efficient thinning that improves forest health and maximizes growth. Our method increases stand growth by approximately 8%.
Forest as solution
The impact of new technology in the forest
0 soil damage
Since the drones operate from the air, there is no soil compaction, no root damage, and no machine tracks left in the stand.
500Mt CO2
By thinning forests with our method, forests has the potential to sequester up to an additional 516 Mt of carbon globally per year when fully sclaed.
20Mt CO2/y in Sweden alone.
100% electric
Our drones and harvesting tool run entirely on electricity.
Pitch: AirForestry
It all started with an idea of a new way to thin forests
AirForestry develops an autonomous, electric multi-drone system for flying forestry operations, enabling more efficient forestry operations with lower environmental impact than conventional methods.
And it’s moving fast!
Our founder Olle Gelin...
… grew up in the forest. He represents the sixth generation managing a solar-powered family farm with surrounding woodland just outside Uppsala.
For Olle, sustainable forestry and a fossil-free forest industry have long been both a passion and a clear ambition. It’s no surprise, then, that his career has included developing hybrid trucks at Scania, followed by eight years at Skogforsk, where he initiated and led one of the world’s largest projects in forest automation, AUTO2.
Mauritz's electric vision
Our founder, Dr Mauritz Andersson, is a physicist and electric aviation enthusiast, with twelve years of research in quantum optics and eleven years of industrial experience developing optical systems.
For Mauritz, the search for sustainable solutions to the climate crisis through innovative technology has been the main driving force. Contrary to common assumptions, he believed that aviation could be the most energy-efficient mode of transport — provided it is electric.
The idea was born
The moment Olle and Mauritz first met, it was clear to both of them that forestry was ready for a completely new kind of innovation: an airborne solution for harvesting trees.
They secured early sponsorship from three of Europe’s largest forest owners, built the first versions of the drone, and registered AirForestry AB in the spring of 2020.
Caroline Walerud joins the team
In the summer of 2020, Olle and Mauritz met Caroline Walerud, a biologist turned serial entrepreneur and deep tech investor. Caroline and her family office, Walerud Ventures, with investments including Klarna, Midsummer, and Paebbl, joined the company as a founding investor.
Prototype 0.1
Our first prototype, one meter in diameter, was assembled in just a couple of days and flew its first test flight in June 2020. Its purpose was primarily to validate the rotor concept, and it made a strong impression, on both customers and investors.
The first drone
On 18 October 2021, the team assembled the first full-scale drone, 6.2 meters in diameter.
First takeoff
The first successful flight of the full-scale drone.
Early commercial interest
The Swedish Energy Agency awarded AirForestry a €3M grant for further technology development. Offtake agreements signed with Sveaskog, Högtorps Gård, and Hargs Bruk.
€10.3M funding round
The company closed its €10.3M funding round with top-tier investors including SEB Greentech VC, Sveaskog, Kiko VC, Capital T, and Northzone as lead.
First full-cycle harvest
The first full-cycle harvest of a tree in the field was completed.
Two consecutive trees
The first full-cycle harvest of two consecutive trees in the field was completed.