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A Caerphilly-based drone firm is aiming to reach new heights after receiving a £850k investment.

Drone Evolution, which is based on Caerphilly Business Park, was co-founded in November 2018 by business partners Clayton Earney, Toby Townrow, and John Young,

Now with a nine-strong team, the firm pilots drones and provides UK-wide consultancy services for both corporate and independent clients.

Now, it has been handed a boost from the UK Government-owned British Business Bank, through its Investment Fund for Wales.

The support will help the company further develop its product offering and invest in marketing.

Recently, the business has patented a special type of drone that can fly for extended periods and lift up to 5kg.

Some of Drone Evolution’s key clients include multi-national property management company CBRE, facilities management company Mitie, Caerphilly Borough Council, as well as delivering in-depth land surveys for EDF Energy’s windfarm projects.

During the Storm Dennis flooding in February 2020, the company was called upon to help local authorities across south Wales with how best to manage the flood’s impact on coal tips – with drones being used to assess infrastructure damage and terrain conditions.

Co-founder Mr Townrow, who is the development director at Drone Evolution, explained: “Much of our work is inspection and detection, as well as remedial work. We offer early analysis to prevent potential damage.

“Our drones are used to complete building, telecoms and typography land surveys, thermography and traffic monitoring. We have worked extensively on coal tip mapping and monitoring year on year for any shift or danger.

“We continue to work closely with local authorities to help reduce overhead costs. Our drones identify blocked drains or missing tiles on schools, to prevent leaks and damage. Flying a drone is a quicker process than having to use scaffolding or cherry pickers, which increases public and employee safety, with working at height still Britain’s biggest workplace killer.

Mark Sterritt, of the British Business Bank, said: “The Investment Fund for Wales was established to provide the financial backing that innovative and ambitious companies like Drone Evolution so often need, and we are particularly pleased to support their expansion plans as they continue to scale. 

“The Drone Evolution team is highly experienced, driven and passionate about this specialist, emerging sector, and they have already developed an impressive roster of clients. I’m looking forward to hearing more about what they do next following this significant investment.”