INVOLI

Cover Block

Attribute	Value
Name	INVOLI
Tagline	Real-time low-altitude air traffic surveillance and data services for safe drone operations.
Headquarters	Lausanne, Switzerland
Founded	2017
Stage	Seed
Business Model	Hardware + Software
Industry	Defense / Govtech
Technology	Hardware
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Undisclosed (total disclosed ~$500,000)

Links

• Website: https://www.involi.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/involi

The Short Version

INVOLI builds the physical sensor network and data layer required to safely integrate drones into low-altitude airspace [GovTech, April 2024]. Founded in 2017 in Lausanne, the company addresses a critical gap in air traffic awareness by deploying proprietary ground receivers that detect manned aircraft signals, feeding this real-time data into its INVOLI.live platform and APIs for drone operators and uncrewed traffic management (UTM) systems [involi.com]. Its core differentiation is a hardware-enabled wedge, establishing a physical network of over 550 receivers across major U.S. cities under its VistaTrack service [suasnews.com, June 2025].

The founding team is led by Emanuele Lubrano, CEO and an inventor on company patents, with co-founder Cristina Mihalachioiu handling legal and communications [Crunchbase]. The company's early financial backing includes a $500,000 seed round [agefi.com]. A key near-term catalyst is its participation in the GENIUS NY accelerator [GENIUS NY]. Over the next 12-18 months, the primary metrics to watch are the expansion of its paid surveillance service footprint and the conversion of its receiver network into recurring enterprise or UTM-provider contracts.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims and founding team are confirmed by company and third-party sources; specific commercial traction and detailed funding history lack multi-source corroboration.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Seed
Business Model	Hardware + Software
Industry / Vertical	Defense / Govtech
Technology Type	Hardware
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding	Undisclosed (total disclosed ~$500,000)

The Company in Brief

INVOLI SA was founded in 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to address a specific gap in the emerging drone economy: the lack of real-time, low-altitude air traffic data [Crunchbase]. The company's stated mission is to make the sky safe and efficient for drones by providing the surveillance infrastructure that manned aviation has long relied upon [Solar Impulse Foundation]. Its legal structure is a Swiss société anonyme (SA) [find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk].

The founding team is led by Emanuele Lubrano, CEO and Co-Founder, who studied at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne [Crunchbase]. Co-Founder Cristina Mihalachioiu handles Legal & Communication [LinkedIn]. Both are listed as inventors on patents assigned to the company [patents.justia.com].

Key operational milestones trace a path from Swiss roots to U.S. expansion. The company participated in the GENIUS NY accelerator program, Cohort 8 [GENIUS NY]. A significant commercial deployment followed in April 2024 with the launch of a Low Altitude Surveillance Supplemental Data Service (SDS) covering over 10,000 square kilometers of Dallas, Texas [GovTech, April 2024][unmannedairspace.info]. The network, branded VistaTrack, has since expanded to over 550 active receivers across major U.S. metropolitan areas including New York City, San Francisco, and Orlando [suasnews.com, June 2025].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core founding details and entity status are confirmed, but conflicting founder information and a lack of detailed funding announcements limit full verification.

What They Have Built

INVOLI's core proposition is that drones cannot avoid what they cannot see. The company builds a hardware and software system designed to give operators real-time awareness of low-altitude manned air traffic, a critical gap for safe beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations [GovTech, April 2024].

The system is built on a network of proprietary ground receivers. These devices, like the Swiss-made G-1090 receiver, detect signals from manned aircraft including ADS-B, UAT, and in some areas, MLAT tracking of Mode S and Mode A/C transponders [involi.com]. This raw surveillance data feeds into INVOLI's software layer. The primary user-facing product is INVOLI.live, a web-based platform that visualizes this air traffic [GovTech, April 2024]. For integration into broader uncrewed traffic management (UTM) ecosystems, INVOLI offers the same data stream via a REST API [unmannedairspace.info].

In Dallas, Texas, INVOLI has established what it calls the world's first Low Altitude Surveillance SDS, covering over 10,000 square kilometers [globalairspaceradar.com]. The VistaTrack network has since expanded to over 550 receivers active in major U.S. metropolitan areas including New York City, San Francisco, Orlando, and Charlotte [suasnews.com, June 2025]. The stated goal is to mitigate collision risks, thereby improving the chances for drone operators to receive BVLOS flight authorizations and approved SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) documents [airport-suppliers.com].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Product claims and deployment details are consistently reported across multiple independent trade publications and are detailed on the company's own website.

Market Size and Demand

Third-party market sizing for low-altitude surveillance or supplemental data services (SDS) is scarce, but the broader uncrewed traffic management (UTM) and urban air mobility (UAM) markets provide a relevant analog. A 2023 report from MarketsandMarkets projected the global UTM market to grow from $1.6 billion to $5.9 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 20.5% [MarketsandMarkets, 2023].

Demand is driven by several converging tailwinds. The commercial drone sector continues to expand, with applications in logistics, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, and public safety pushing for more complex, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. Regulatory bodies, including the FAA in the U.S. and EASA in Europe, are actively developing frameworks like U-Space to enable these operations, mandating or strongly encouraging the use of surveillance and traffic information services.

Metric	Value
Global UTM Market 2023	$1.6B
Global UTM Market 2030	$5.9B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is drawn from a single third-party analyst report for an analogous, broader market. Demand drivers are corroborated by multiple industry and regulatory sources.

Who Else Is Fighting for This

INVOLI positions itself as a hardware-enabled data provider, a niche that separates it from pure software UTM platforms and legacy aviation hardware giants.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
INVOLI	Hardware + software provider of low-altitude surveillance data and receivers for UTM integration.	Seed (~$500k, 2018)	Proprietary ground receiver network (VistaTrack) providing real-time, multi-protocol surveillance as a service.
AirMap	Software platform for UTM services, digital airspace authorization, and fleet management.	Series B ($42M, 2020)	Established regulatory relationships and a comprehensive software suite for airspace management.
uAvionix	Avionics hardware manufacturer for drones and manned aircraft, focusing on ADS-B and transponder systems.	Venture (total disclosed $25.5M)	Deep expertise in certified aviation hardware and a broad product portfolio for both drones and general aviation.
Altitude Angel	UTM technology provider offering airspace management and conflict resolution services.	Venture (total disclosed $21.2M)	Strong focus on automated conflict resolution and strategic partnerships with ANSPs.
ANRA Technologies	Integrated UTM and mission management software for enterprise and government drone operations.	Series A ($6.5M, 2021)	End-to-end mission control software with experience in large-scale government contracts.

INVOLI's current defensible edge is its claimed first-mover status in deploying a dedicated, low-altitude Supplemental Data Service network. The VistaTrack deployment of over 550 receivers across several major U.S. cities creates a tangible, operational asset [suasnews.com, June 2025]. The company's participation in the Swiss U-Space Implementation provides a regulatory and credibility moat in its home market [startup.ch].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Competitor profiles and funding stages confirmed via Crunchbase; INVOLI's product positioning and network claims are corroborated by multiple trade publications.

Opportunity

The commercial prize for INVOLI is the role of foundational infrastructure provider for the safe integration of drones into low-altitude airspace. The company is not merely selling hardware receivers; it is building a real-time data network that addresses a critical, unsolved safety gap. INVOLI has already launched what it describes as the world's first Low Altitude Surveillance Supplemental Data Service (SDS) covering over 10,000 square kilometers of Dallas, Texas [GovTech, April 2024]. Its VistaTrack network, with over 550 active receivers deployed across major U.S. metropolitan areas, represents tangible, scaled infrastructure [suasnews.com, June 2025].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Growth scenarios and network scale are supported by multiple trade publications, but specific commercial traction and financial metrics remain limited.

Sources

1. [GovTech, April 2024] INVOLI’s New Drone Surveillance Program Gets Off the Ground | https://www.govtech.com/biz/involis-new-drone-surveillance-program-gets-off-the-ground
2. [involi.com] INVOLI | Real-Time Air Traffic Surveillance & Advanced Receivers | https://www.involi.com/
3. [suasnews.com, June 2025] VistaTrack: Real-Time Air Traffic Surveillance for BVLOS Drones | https://www.involi.com/blog/involi-news-2/involi-announces-vistatrack-the-worlds-largest-bvlos-surveillance-network-now-live-in-major-u-s-cities-34
4. [Crunchbase] INVOLI - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/involi
5. [Solar Impulse Foundation] INVOLI | Solar Impulse Foundation | https://solarimpulse.com/companies/involi
6. [find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk] INVOLI LIMITED - UK Company Profile | https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12685869
7. [LinkedIn] Cristina Mihalachioiu - LinkedIn Profile | https://www.linkedin.com/company/involi
8. [patents.justia.com] Patents assigned to Involi SA | https://patents.justia.com
9. [DroneTalks, 2023] INVOLI’s impact on airspace management | https://dronetalks.online/involis-impact-on-airspace-management/
10. [GENIUS NY] GENIUS NY Cohort 8 Reflections: INVOLI Builds U.S. Momentum with Strategic Support and Syracuse Roots | https://geniusny.com/genius-ny-cohort-8-reflections-involi-builds-u-s-momentum-with-strategic-support-and-syracuse-roots/
11. [unmannedairspace.info] INVOLI Provides Low Altitude Surveillance Data | https://unmannedairspace.info
12. [globalairspaceradar.com] INVOLI Launches First Low Altitude Surveillance SDS | https://globalairspaceradar.com
13. [airport-suppliers.com] INVOLI.live Platform for BVLOS Authorization | https://airport-suppliers.com
14. [startup.ch] INVOLI Part of Swiss U-Space Implementation | https://startup.ch
15. [MarketsandMarkets, 2023] Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) Market - Global Forecast to 2030 | https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/unmanned-traffic-management-market-251095711.html
16. [agefi.com] INVOLI Seed Funding | https://www.agefi.com
17. [Crunchbase] AirMap - Crunchbase Company Profile | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/airmap
18. [Crunchbase] uAvionix - Crunchbase Company Profile | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/uavionix
19. [Crunchbase] Altitude Angel - Crunchbase Company Profile | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/altitude-angel
20. [Crunchbase] ANRA Technologies - Crunchbase Company Profile | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/anra-technologies