Percepto, an Israel-based industrial security drone manufacturer backed by carmaker Hyundai Motors, has received $15m in a series A round led by venture capital firm US Venture Partners.
VC firms Spider Capital, NHN Investments and Emerge also participated in the round, which brought Percepto’s overall funding to $27.5m.
Founded in 2014, Percepto produces autonomous drones that rely on computer vision technology to perform inspections and monitor security at infrastructure sites and industrial facilities.
The cash will be used for research and development, and to scale up the company’s operations with a focus on international expansion, building on existing commissions in multiple countries, in industries like energy and mining.
Hyundai invested an undisclosed sum in Percepto in 2018 through its Hyundai Cradle vehicle, according to VentureBeat, following $1m in a 2015 seed round led by Richard Parson that included fellow angel investors Mark Cuban and Xu Xiaoping, Emerge and Elevator Fund.
Percepto had previously raised $100,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. R&R Venture Partners was named as an existing backer by the company this week but it has not revealed when it invested.