South African aerospace startup Cloudline has secured $6 million in funding, with Schmidt Futures participating in the seed round. Other backers include pan-African funds such as the Raba Partnership, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, 4Di, and other venture firms. Cloudline aims to pioneer carbon emissions-free autonomous flight, using autonomous airships as a cost-efficient alternative to drones, helicopters, and satellites. The airships, powered by helium gas and solar energy, offer a range of over 400 kilometers with a 40-kilogram payload, operating for 10 hours. Cloudline's breakthrough technology, based in South Africa, has gained traction for mapping, monitoring, public safety, and more applications.
Cloudline, founded six years ago, operates in a relatively uncompetitive market, focusing on hardware and integrating software with its airship technology. The startup's intellectual property lies in creating autonomy for airships, providing a strong first-mover advantage. Cloudline's approach includes a beachhead strategy, developing solutions in Africa for its initial customer base before entering the global market. The startup has quickly gained traction among customers such as governmental institutions, witnessing a four times increase in revenue during 2023 and projecting substantial growth in 2024 with new multi-million dollar enterprise contracts.