Destinus Group BV has made a binding deal to buy Daedalean AG. This Zurich-based company is a top player in aviation AI. The acquisition is worth CHF 180 million, around USD 225 million. It will be paid with cash and stock. This deal should close by the end of 2025. It represents a major step in Destinus’ growth strategy. It also enhances its technology portfolio with advanced, certifiable AI capabilities.
Founded in 2016, Daedalean is recognized as a pioneer in safety-critical AI avionics software. Its technology enables AI-assisted piloting, advanced environmental awareness, and strong navigation. These features are key for modern aviation and unmanned systems. They are especially important in tough environments where GNSS is unavailable.
This acquisition is key to Destinus’ plan. It aims to boost AI-driven solutions for unmanned flight systems in civil and defense markets. Destinus gains an edge in autonomous aviation and smart aerospace systems by leveraging Daedalean’s expertise.
“This acquisition strengthens our technological position by adding world-class AI expertise and deep-learning specialists. Integrating Daedalean’s innovative solutions and exceptional team will accelerate our strategy to develop, certify, and launch intelligent UAV systems for defense and civil markets,” commented Tim Moser, Co-founder and CTO of Destinus.
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“Joining Destinus is a logical next step after our successful collaboration. Together, we’ll deliver innovative AI-driven autonomy, swarm intelligence, and sophisticated decision-making tools to market faster, making flight safer, more resilient, and operationally flexible,” added Bas Gouverneur, CEO of Daedalean.
Daedalean brings a highly specialized team of more than 150 professionals, including 13 PhDs with deep expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and avionics systems. Incorporating this talent and technology base accelerates Destinus’ ability to design, certify, and deploy intelligent UAV platforms at scale.
Daedalean’s AI solutions help human operators make better decisions. They support real-time choices in complex flight operations and manage drone swarms effectively. These capabilities boost tactical awareness. They also enhance mission resilience and greatly improve operational flexibility for many use cases.
The two companies have worked well together before. They see this deal as a natural step in their partnership. Destinus and Daedalean are joining forces. Destinus brings advanced aerospace engineering. Daedalean offers AI-driven software and autonomy skills. They want to speed up innovation, shorten development times, and strengthen their global leadership in smart aviation technologies.