Wind Turbine Cleaning Robot Startup Aerones Raises Nearly $39 Million
Aerones secures $38.9 million to scale its remote-operated robots that wash and inspect wind turbines, replacing dangerous human work.
Aerones, a robotics startup based in Latvia, secures $38.9 million in new funding to expand its wind turbine cleaning and inspection business. Instead of sending humans up massive towers, the company uses remote-operated robots to blast turbine blades and towers with liquid detergent. Funnels placed beneath the blades catch the dirty liquid so it undergoes recycling and reuse rather than polluting the ground below.
Wind turbines generate clean electricity, but they routinely leak oil that corrodes blades and increases wind resistance. Aerones tackles this maintenance problem with robots equipped with cameras and ultrasound scanners to conduct thorough inspections while washing the structures. The startup reports that it successfully cleans over 5,000 turbines across 19 countries, working with nine of the ten largest wind energy firms in the industry.
This latest funding round includes dozens of undisclosed investors and follows a $9 million seed round raised earlier in the year. Backed by Y Combinator, Aerones plans to raise an additional $2.5 million according to a recent regulatory filing. With over 72,000 wind turbines currently operating in the United States alone, the startup sees a massive market opportunity for its automated maintenance technology.