AirForestry’s Founders and Leadership Team: Olle Gelin, Gösta Forsén, Dr Mauritz Andersson, Caroline Walerud, Paul Carbonnier, and Oskar Lund. (Photograph: Ulf Berglund.)
We’re excited to announce our investment in AirForestry, a company revolutionising forest thinning with electric, autonomous drones. This €10.3 million Seed round was led by Northzone, and included participation from strategic, evergreen, and greentech investors Sveaskog, Kiko VC, CapitalT, Walerud Ventures, SEB Greentech, and Cloudbreak VC.
Traditionally, forest thinning in Sweden relies on ground-based machinery weighing up to 30 tons. These machines damage the soil, require 5-metre-wide access roads, create a challenging work environment, and consume 200 litres of diesel daily – amounting to 3.5 billion litres globally each year.
In contrast, AirForestry employs the world’s lightest harvesting tool, suspended from drones. These drones trim and saw trees efficiently, with their equipment optimised to lift up to 200 kg (thinned trees typically weigh between 40-140 kg), with the industry actively looking for transformational opportunities, few solutions like AirForestry enable a whole new model.
Founded in 2020 in Uppsala, Sweden, AirForestry’s pioneering technology allows for aerial thinning, marking a significant shift in forest management. Their solution offers a fossil-free, gentle, and a radically more cost efficient method of forestry, reducing carbon dioxide emissions while enhancing the forest’s carbon sequestration capabilities. By fostering healthier forests, AirForestry supports a more sustainable future – economically, environmentally, and socially.
Our partner Pär-Jörgen Pärson adds, “AirForestry represents a pivotal leap forward in sustainable and more cost effective forest management with a solution that drives both environmental impact and technological progress. It is hard to imagine a team better equipped to disrupt this particular industry. Olle Gelin is one of the most knowledgeable and connected forest experts in the world and Mauritz Andersson leads a team of world class experts in autonomous systems and drone technology.”
We’re very proud to welcome Olle Gelin, Mauritz Andersson, Caroline Walerud and their team to the portfolio as they continue to transform the future of forestry!