Krypto Labs, the global incubator for startups, announced that Voliro, from Switzerland - a startup focusing on omnidirectional drones for interaction and uninhibited observation - is the winner of its latest contest.

The Drone Innovation Start-Up Contest (DISC) aimed to recognize the top innovators who contribute to redefine the conventional wisdom around aerial mobility and its entrepreneurial potential startups. The highly anticipated competition has proven to be influential in the field of aerial photography, transportation and logistics, disaster management, search and rescue operations, terrestrial mapping, building management, law enforcement surveillance, and weather forecasting.

The grand finale event was held at Krypto Labs’ state-of-the-art premises located in Masdar City. With over 600 applicants from 61 countries, five finalists were chosen to pitch live onstage at Krypto Labs’ facility. The winning startup received USD 500,000 in funding, and vital assistance, including mentorship, and access to a worldwide network. Voliro hopes to open up a world of new possibilities by designing a Hexacopter that can hover in any orientation in the air by decoupling its position and its orientation completely, giving the System the ability to perform acrobatic maneuvers.

The conscientious process of choosing a final winner required a judging panel of drone industry experts, serial entrepreneurs and prominent founders, including Dr. Saleh Al Hashemi, Managing Director of Krypto Labs, Zach Coelius, Early stage technology investor and advisor, Amir Kalaoun, Director of International Business Development at Aurora Flight Sciences, John Ramey, Startup investor and advisor, innovation design expert, and Amir Hirsc, Founder at Flybrix, an Education-Focused Drone Developer.

Dr. Saleh, Managing Director of Krypto Labs, said “In this contest, we aim to recognize top innovators who are contributing to this industry in many different sectors. We received 600 applications from 61 countries and tonight I feel very privileged and honored to stand in front of all of you and acknowledge these groundbreaking startups and their founders. ”

The Drone Innovation Startup Contest comes in alignment with the UAE National Innovation Strategy and the UAE Vision 2021 based on ‘innovation, research and technology will form the pillars of a knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy, driven by entrepreneurs in a business-friendly environment where public and private sectors form effective partnerships’.