Drone Startup Skye Air Bags $4 Mn Series A Funding to Focus on Healthcare Delivery

This round also saw participation from Chiratae Ventures, Venture Catalyst, Windrose Capital, Tremis Capital, Faad Capital, Misfits Capital, Hyderabad Angels, and Soonicorn Ventures.

Gurugram-based Drone startup Skye Air Mobility raised $4 million (around INR 33.4 Cr) in its Series A funding round led by Mount Judi Ventures. 

This round also saw participation from Chiratae Ventures, Venture Catalyst, Windrose Capital, Tremis Capital, Faad Capital, Misfits Capital, Hyderabad Angels, and Soonicorn Ventures.

Per the startup, Skye Air plans to use the funds primarily for product development and infrastructure expansion, with a significant focus on healthcare delivery. 

Furthermore, the startup aims to double its workforce to around 200 over the next 18 months.

Commenting on the fundraise, Ankit Kumar, CEO of Skye Air,  said, "The fundraising is a testament to our amazing team and the relentless hard work they put in every day to create real change and make last-mile logistics faster and more efficient."

According to Kumar, the fresh capital will help the startup expand its last-mile network across Gurugram and other cities for healthcare, e-commerce, and quick-commerce deliveries.

Established in 2019 by Ankit Kumar and Chandra Prakash, Skye Air Mobility focuses on drone deliveries in the healthcare, e-commerce, quick commerce, and agriculture sectors. 

In 2022, the startup raised $1.7 Mn in a seed funding round led by Chiratae Ventures.

Strategic Partnerships

Skye Air has partnered with multiple Indian startups, including Dunzo, Flipkart Health+, Shiprocket, and Curefoods, to enhance drone delivery services. Last month, it was reported that Ecom Express has also teamed up with Skye Air for drone deliveries.

Earlier this year, Skye Air secured contracts with 10 government medical institutions to deploy drone mobility solutions. These institutions, including six AIIMS and three regional leprosy centers, were expected to use drones to deliver essential medical supplies in temperature-controlled boxes.

Kumar commented on this development, saying, "We are enthused by the support and guidance we have received from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, AAI, district administrations, and other authorities towards building drone delivery solutions that can impact millions of lives across healthcare, agriculture, e-commerce, and other industries."

The Center’s INR 120 Cr production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and streamlined certification norms have bolstered the growth of drone startups in India. These initiatives have attracted increasing interest from investors in the sector.

Recent Investment Deals in Healthtech Sector

In the same vein, Tamil Nadu-based Yali Aerospace received investment from SaaS giant Zoho last month to accelerate the development of its VTOL drones. 

Another drone tech startup, TechEagle, raised funds in its bridge funding round, co-led by Navam Capital and Inflection Point Ventures, with participation from Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Venture Catalysts, and high-net-worth individuals (HNIs).

The new funding, raised ahead of the startup's Series A round, is critical for TechEagle's efforts to enhance last-mile logistics in urban and semi-urban areas. 

In related healthcare tech news, Ahmedabad-based C3 MedTech recently secured funding from Industrial Metal Powders to launch new telemedicine and AI-enabled eye screening devices. 

C3 MedTech aims to reduce avoidable blindness in India with affordable and portable ophthalmic screening equipment. The latest funds aim to support marketing, team building, and R&D for future products. 

According to C3 MedTech, their devices offer quick eye check-ups and real-time detection of eye diseases. They integrate telemedicine and AI for immediate and accurate diagnoses, ensuring timely intervention to prevent visual impairment and blindness.

Lucknow-based healthtech startup Docplix recently raised INR 1.2 Cr in a bridge funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), a Gurugram-based angel investment firm. 

Docplix plans to use the funds for product development, AI integration, and market expansion. The startup aims to enhance its electronic health record (EHR) system with advanced AI capabilities to improve decision support and patient care and to expand its market reach to larger clinics and hospitals.