The most dangerous part of cleaning a water tower isn't the water. It's the 150-foot climb up a rusting ladder, the precarious swing stage, and the high-pressure spray that can knock a worker off their feet. For a decade, Apellix has been building drones that aim to solve this by turning the ladder into a power cord and the worker into a ground-based pilot.
The Jacksonville, Florida, company makes industrial drones that don't just look. They touch. Their systems use patented software and sensor arrays to control flight with millimeter precision, allowing a drone to press a robotic arm, an ultrasonic sensor, or a spray nozzle against a vertical surface [Empower Innovation]. The initial application, and the one that has secured a crucial stamp of approval, is power washing. The company's B2 Power Wash Drone can deliver 8-10 gallons per minute at up to 3000 psi, blasting away grime, biological growth, and non-visible contamination from bridges, tanks, and buildings [LinkedIn].
This isn't hobbyist gear. The first cleaning drone was certified as National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant and has been flown by the US Army, with a focus on removing soldiers from exposure to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards [Apellix]. The company has since delivered its first cohort of 'Apellix Blue' power wash drones, which are NDAA-compliant and U.S.-made, with a deployment noted at the University of Florida [RoboticsTomorrow, 2025].
A decade-long bet on contact
Founded in 2014, Apellix has operated for ten years on a relatively modest $1.75 million in total disclosed funding, a mix of angel investment and grants [CB Insights]. The long runway suggests a capital-efficient, bootstrap-heavy approach. The founding team, led by CEO Robert Dahlstrom, a serial entrepreneur and software systems architect, has stayed the course on a technically difficult wedge: enabling a flying robot to make sustained, forceful contact with a structure without crashing [Apellix].
Where inspection drones keep their distance, Apellix's value is in the collision. Their product roadmap builds from that core capability:
- Power Washing. The flagship and first certified product, tackling a universal, dirty, and dangerous maintenance job.
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). A drone that uses ultrasonic sensors to measure material thickness and integrity while in flight, aimed at pipelines and storage tanks [BBB].
- Spray Painting. A drone in beta development for applying protective and commercial coatings, targeting painting contractors and industrial asset owners [RoboticsTomorrow, 2025].
The optional Apellix Intelligence software layer adds AI for planning and executing these autonomous contact missions [Apellix].
The military as a proving ground
The US Army certification is more than a customer win; it's a rigorous stress test. Military procurement, especially for NDAA-compliant technology, demands durability, security, and reliability that far exceeds typical commercial standards. For a startup drone maker, passing that test is a powerful signal of technical maturity. It also opens a direct path into the defense and federal contracting world, where the cost of keeping personnel out of harm's way can justify a premium price.
Apellix's stated vision extends beyond cleaning. 'Project Breathe' is an aspirational initiative to use tethered drones to spray a NASA-developed compound onto highway noise barriers, with the goal of pulling smog and pollution from the air [RoboticsTomorrow, 2021].
Traction and the next phase
Commercial traction has been quieter in public reporting, though the company claims deployments in 21 countries for its industrial and commercial cleaning applications [RoboticsTomorrow, 2025]. The recent launch of a beta program for the Spray-Painting Drone is a concrete step toward a second revenue stream [Commercial UAV News, 2025]. The company is also hiring for roles like a LATAM Sales Representative, indicating an intent to scale commercial operations.
Where the unit economics get real
The fundamental pitch is economic, wrapped in a safety blanket. A single worksite injury from a fall or chemical exposure can cost millions in liability, insurance premiums, and downtime. Replacing a crew of three with a single operator and a drone changes the math on jobs that are dangerous, repetitive, and widespread. Think of every water tower, ship hull, bridge pylon, and storage tank in the world.
The incumbent is a man in a harness
For all its futuristic sheen, Apellix's most direct competitor isn't another drone company. It's the industrial services contractor who shows up with a truck, a pressure washer, and a crew willing to climb. That incumbent has decades of relationships, knows every local regulation, and often owns the asset maintenance contract already. The drone doesn't just have to work technically; it has to be sold to a risk-averse facilities manager as a more reliable, predictable, and ultimately cheaper way to get the same box checked.
The company's path is to make that contractor's job easier, not to eliminate them. A single operator deployment model suggests Apellix sees itself as a tool for the existing service industry, not a displacement force [Pilots of the Caribbean Podcast]. The bet is that the tool is so superior in cost, safety, and consistency that it becomes non-negotiable for any serious bid. After a decade of development and a hard-won military certification, Apellix is now in the beta-testing phase for that business model.