French startup Rift Secures €4.6M for European Aerial Intelligence Network
French startup Rift has successfully raised €4.6 million to develop a real-time drone surveillance network aimed at enhancing border security and monitoring critical infrastructure across Europe. The funding round was led by AlleyCorp, with additional support from OVNI Capital.
Key facts
- Rift raised €4.6 million to develop a drone surveillance network.
- Funding led by AlleyCorp with participation from OVNI Capital.
- Focus on real-time intelligence for borders and critical infrastructure.
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Rift’s raise signals Europe’s shift from ad hoc drone deployments to persistent, on demand aerial intelligence. The strategic bet is a taskable network that compresses the sensor-to-decision loop for border forces and infrastructure operators, reducing dependence on slow procurement and single-vendor platforms. A US-led seed round alongside French capital underlines transatlantic appetite for dual use autonomy while anchoring European market access and regulatory navigation.
The advantage will come from orchestration, not airframes. To matter at Europe’s borders and critical sites, Rift must unify BVLOS operations, payload tasking, alerting and dispatch into a service that authorities can trigger within minutes. That requires conformity with EU U-space services, SORA-based risk frameworks, and integration with national ANSPs. Cross-border tasking will need technical and procedural links with Frontex, gendarmerie and coast guards, plus deconfliction with crewed aviation.
Data governance will determine adoption. Real-time video and telemetry intended for interdiction and evidentiary use demand sovereign hosting, strong encryption, clear retention policies under GDPR and national security carve-outs, and auditable chain of custody. Interoperability with NATO users means mapping to STANAG formats for FMV and imagery so feeds flow into C2 systems and common operating pictures. Resilience against jamming, spectrum contention and cyber intrusion is essential, and coordination with counter-UAS units will be needed to avoid blue-on-blue effects around sensitive sites.
Competition spans primes and agile drone-as-a-service firms, but a networked, OPEX-priced model could unlock procurement by utilities, rail, energy and interior ministries. Demonstrated scalability may attract EU and national funds to extend coverage along external borders. Warfare in Europe is becoming software defined and networked.
