News in charge for the young Rouen company Delivrone. The start-up, incubated in Innovapolus and today hosted in the village by CA, is in fact in the development phase. After having put into operation a first link of drone transport between Verneuil-sur-Avre and the eagle, it should install in the days coming its first vertort.
The idea was born following the COVID. Confainment has indeed gave major momentum to the concept of home delivery, and quickly asked itself the question of its decarbonation. “”At that time, there was a big request, recalls Gautier Dhaussy, co -founder of Delivrone. But an Amazon study also said that 70 to 80 % of our packages are less than 3 kilograms“.
In this context, use several tonnes vehicles to transport small packages, “There is real ineffective, continues Gautier Dhaussy. With Pierre Lebel, my partner, we quickly arrived at the conclusion that it was necessary to automate, to decarbonize transport, especially in rural areas.“
A first line between emergency services and laboratory
The drone quickly established itself as a solution. And contrary to what the two entrepreneurs thought, it is the medical environment which, the first was interested. And not necessarily to manage emergency interventions, such as the delivery of a defibrillator for example. The issue is more in the effectiveness of services.
Thus the Verneuil-sur-Avre hospital center has been seduced in order to manage the transport of direct debits to the analysis laboratory. It’s like that “that we opened in October the first regular link of medical drones in France, between Verneuil-sur-Avre and the eaglesays the leader of Delivrone. It provides five rotations a day, five days a week.“
-Save time, efficiency and decarbonation
The drone, which has a transport capacity of 3 kilograms, transports small packages of less than a kilogram. Blood samples (12 grams) or tissue mainly, under carefully controlled conditions to ensure that no deterioration of the material takes place. “”Because, of course, it is not necessary that the means of transport, even if it is faster and cleaner, has an impact on the sample, or false the result“, Continues Gautier Dhaussy.
Already 12,000 kilometers have been traveled by the service. And the idea is emulated. “”There are about fifteen projects today in France for health establishments, both hospitals and medical biology laboratories.“Once the aerial corridor has been validated by the authorities, a first experiment is launched in the establishment until the opening of a regular line. If the lines are initially in programmed journeys, the objective is to gradually go towards the journey on demand, with a drone capable of leaving immediately after the levy.”We all waited for a long time in an emergency service. If you can save time and save efficiency …“Note the entrepreneur.
A vertort at the Verneuil-sur-Avre hospital center
To achieve this, Delivrone also imagined a vertort – a drone garage – which should allow better management of drone maintenance. The first copy should be operational in May at the Verneuil-sur-Avre hospital center. “”It would be a first in France“, welcomes Gautier Dhaussy. “”The idea is to set up additional technology so that the drone is ready and operational in all circumstances.“
The deployment of new lines as well as the commissioning of the first vertort is not without consequences for Delivrone. Currently with 10 employees, it hires significantly and envisages at least to double the workforce by the end of 2026. Growth for the moment funded in equity (with support from BPI France and the Normandy region), but which could require external funding. “”We have a company profile that is suitable for fundraising. There too, these are subjects on which we work …“Concludes the business manager.
For Aleheia Pres, Benoit Delabrated
