Flybotix: The Venture Leader Technology creating drone-based solutions for the inspection and digitization of industrial confined space

11.03.2024 09:40, Rita Longobardi

Meet Samir Bouabdallah, CEO of Flybotix. Specializing in confined space inspection drones, the robotics startup works towards making industrial spaces safer and more efficient. Samir and the other nine Swiss National Technology Team members will fly to Silicon Valley in April.

Name: Samir Bouabdallah
Nationality: Swiss
Education: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, PhD in Robotics
Job title: CEO
Number of employees: 30
Money raised: CHF 9 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: Venture Kick in 2019




Can you tell us who your product or solution helps, and how?
We help asset owners in energy and water infrastructure to better inspect their assets while saving money and keeping their personnel safe.

What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
We focus on the energy production and the water infrastructure markets. Thanks to our strong USPs, we can offer the market's most efficient solution.

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
Drones start to enter assets not only to perform visual inspection but also to interact with the environment. This answers a real need and we had a solution.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow and how do you think it will help you achieve your vision?
We are scaling and the US is 50-60% of our global market, we plan now to open an office and hire people in 2024, and our next steps of development will require US-size investors. Venture Leaders Technology will help us reach a better understanding of the American way of doing business while growing our network of investors, partners, and customers. It will also help get feedback and learn how to deal with US investors and partners. Finally, we hope to get inspired by the American innovation and venture community.

What are your team’s key achievements to date?
To date, the successful launch of our product into the market, securing 40 customers globally and 3 patents to protect our technologies, and closing 3 successful funding rounds.

Is there a key principle or value that guides you as you build your company?
Passion, ambition, and respect.

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
People make or break a company.

What is your favorite productivity hack or tool and why?
OneNote, helps me handle multitasking.

Tell us something people don't know about you.
I come from Algeria, I landed in Switzerland 20 years ago with almost empty pockets.

Do you recommend a podcast or a book you want to share with us?
The art of the start – Guy Kawasaki.