Morroco-based ATLAN Space has raised $1.1 million (MAD 10 million) for its Series A funding round from Maroc Numeric Fund II, with participation from Hilmi Law Firm and Cadex Group.

Launched in 2016, ATLAN Space employs artificial intelligence (AI) to enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to carry out tracking missions with complete autonomy. Through its technology, the platform helps governments and institutions fight environmental crime and assist vulnerable populations.

"ATLAN Space is developing artificial intelligence to enable UAVs to carry out tracking missions in total autonomy and without human intervention. This is for humanitarian purposes or to fight environmental crimes such as illegal fishing or deforestation,” said Badr Idrissi, CEO of ATLAN Space.

The startup received the "African Entrepreneurship Award" innovation prize in 2017 and was ranked among the 10 best AI startups in Europe in 2018 by Nvidia. The startup has already completed its first round of Seed funding in 2019 with investment from Norway's Katapult Ocean Fund.

"The fund management team is proud to support ATLAN Space, a Moroccan startup that is the result of many years of R&D in artificial intelligence, and which has a proven technology with several clients internationally and in Morocco, with a high environmental and humanitarian impact,” said Dounia Boumehdi, managing director at MITC Capital, the management company of Maroc Numeric Fund II.

ATLAN Space has commercial contracts in the Seychelles, Niger, and Morocco.