IONA

Why are we smiling? Because we just discussed what's coming! 😎 IONA is expanding to Ireland, but not just anywhere: Future Mobility Ireland is welcoming us in Shannon, with a ready-to-use droneport perfectly located for our operations. Thanks, Russell and Wassim for your warm welcome and amazing work on innovation (and Casey for the pics). 🚀 Jonny and Etienne spent a few days in Ireland to officially launch our expansion there. It was the opportunity to meet face-to-face with great people from the AAM ecosystem, and despite a bit of rain, it's in Ireland that the horizon is crystal clear! 🍀 Thanks Bobby, Collins Aerospace, AirNav Ireland, Dogpatch Labs (David, Eoghan), Enterprise Ireland (Cillian), DAC Beachcroft (Majella), Business Post (Charlie), Wallace Corporate Counsel LLP, Technological University Dublin (Joseph), Irish Aviation Authority (Enda, Jim), The Shannon Airport Group (John) and many others.

Iona Drones, a London-based start-up focused on addressing rural logistical inefficiencies through autonomous drone deliveries, is expanding to Ireland with plans to provide services outside major towns and cities here. The company was founded and is led by Etienne Louvet

Officially incorporated in Ireland 🇮🇪 Big news coming soon 👍🏻 Thanks again for the warm welcome!

The current shipping logistics system underserves rural communities, causing companies to lose hundreds of millions each year. This is due to: 1. Limited Accessibility: Traditional delivery systems struggle to reach remote and rural areas, resulting in delayed or missed shipments. 2. Reduced Service: Driver shortages and underutilized cargo vans mean slower deliveries and higher operational costs. This week's company, IONA, founded by Etienne Louvet, combines VTOL drones with fleet management technology to create a rural-optimized delivery network. Early traction has been outstanding with $100M in LOIs based on the company's hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) model. Be sure to check out the full feature linked below.

Good to hear about the progress of #Drone operator #IONA Jonny Miller here at DroneX Tradeshow & Conference and the recent drone flight tests carried out in the Sports Centre at Cranfield University https://www.ionadrones.com

I read the #AAM report by Roland Berger and wasted my time. 👀 24 pages covering (vaguely) some basic considerations that any non-expert could have written with Perplexity. It mixes rules for AAM segments that have nothing in common like #drones and passenger #eVTOL i.e. the only thing that they have in common is that it flies. As absurd as a 24-page report on "the future of things that have wheels". 🤔 ⚠️ It's, unfortunately, representative of a misunderstood #market in which analysts who don't know try to force-feed their pre-defined concepts. ⚠️ Let's consider the key ideas and what we could say instead: 1) Investment trends in the AAM industry. 2) The industry's progression through the Gartner Hype Cycle. -> Too vague "Peak in 2021" is the case for 100% of the tech. What about detailing that split between drone delivery using their tech and those trying to use off-the-shelf UAV? What about detailing the different geometries for passenger eVTOL with a rising consensus on vectored-trust? 3) Technical and commercial proof of concept challenges. 4) Unit economics for eVTOL aircraft across multiple use cases (City Taxi, Airport Shuttle, Intercity). Thanks, Captain Obvious. What about the challenges in unit economics that are driven by technological choices (e.g. a multicopter will struggle if range is needed, etc.)? 5) Key cost factors like battery technology, #vertiports, and autonomous flights. Vertiports? Drone delivery doesn't need vertiports. AAM is only about Passenger Air Taxis in cities for you? What is the technology of a vertiport and what about discussing the defensibility of that model? 6) The need for ecosystem collaboration to ensure commercial viability. Specific use cases in premium markets like time-sensitive business travel and high-net-worth clientele. Reduce a complex sector to very specific (hyped) sub-segments. The real questions around regulatory/bilateral agreement and the maturity of EASA compared to the FAA are not detailed. What about DAA and UTM's recent testing? Conclusion: Hopefully, nobody made up their mind about "things that fly" after having read this report. It could have been summarised with a 5 sentences-long paragraph so the density and quality of information isn't overwhelming 🙃 --- If you want interesting stuff on AAM, follow Robin Riedel and the work of their AAM team at McKinsey & Company. Happy to discuss the real questions we SHOULD debate on AAM! #dronedelivery #aerospace #aviation #report

Founding Story: Goodbye 1st Prototype 🙏🥹 Almost two years ago, the team worked day and night to get us our first prototype, and it flew. Considering our budget at the time and the constraints—like producing a full-size airframe made of carbon fibre without any machines or autoclave (because $)—it was quite an achievement! 🚀 But time flies, and it’s time to move on. The company is growing fast and we need more space! Dmitry joined as we’re giving this first prototype to Cranfield University, which has always been our #1 supporter and hosted us at Aviate back then. Hopefully, it can inspire future Aerospace students. Should we name it, maybe? "V0" sounds like a kid from Elon Musk. #aerospace #drone #startuplife #logistics #robotics #carbon

🏝️ The Four-Day Workweek: Is It a One-Size-Fits-All Solution? The four-day workweek is getting a lot of buzz right now. Labour is pushing it, and studies show it boosts productivity and work-life balance. Sounds like a win, right? Well, maybe. The truth is, while the concept works in some cases, we shouldn't rush to impose it everywhere. Just like Ford's decision to introduce the five-day workweek, it’s most effective when it comes from a well-strategized, big-picture approach. Companies that compete for the best talent will naturally offer flexibility—whether that’s through a four-day workweek, hybrid models, or other creative solutions that make sense for their business. The lesson for the future? Work will take many forms. Trying to set rigid rules for something as dynamic as work is counterproductive. Adapting an old, inflexible system by creating a new one doesn’t solve the underlying issue. There’s a quote that comes to mind: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." —Albert Einstein. Instead of top-down mandates, let's give companies the space to innovate and find what works best for their teams. The future of work isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it shouldn’t be. 📈 https://lnkd.in/eWpCYQyS #startups #innovation #futureofwork #workplaceflexibility #leadership #talentretention #worklifebalance

🌍 Great logistics require accurate and convenient geolocalisation anywhere in the world! 🌍 IONA and what3words have joined forces to revolutionise the way deliveries are done. This partnership is changing the game - especially for rural areas! 🤝 With IONA’s advanced drone technology combined with what3words' precise location solution, we’re creating a delivery system that’s faster, more accurate, and incredibly efficient. 📦✨ This collaboration is set to transform logistics, making smarter, more accessible deliveries a reality for everyone. Stay tuned for innovative solutions and seamless delivery experiences! 🌍🔗 P.S. Excited to see how this tech will impact your deliveries?

Big day! Kadripathi is joining IONA as a full-stack developer with expertise in ML and Digital Twins! 🙌 He will work on #Cosmogony, our digital layer to empower drone delivery with enhanced fleet management and SITL as well as the interface to connect directly to the data model of our customers. With an MSc in Applied Artificial Intelligence from Cranfield University, he combines deep technical expertise with a passion for transforming complex aerospace data into intelligent solutions, making him a unique and impactful contributor to the field of drone delivery. 😎 Welcome on board! 🚀