how Otonomy aviation became the world leader in HD and 4K cameras for jets

Sour founder sensed the right vein. In 2007, Guillaume Daudon created Otonomy aviation, a company specializing in the design of high definition cameras for business aircraft. “At the time, there was only one American company, Secura Plane, which had a monopoly on the market. I wanted to create a French alternative,” he recalls. The alternative worked well, since seventeen years later, his company regained many market shares from its competitor and obtained the position of world leader in the sector. Otonomy aviation cameras, manufactured in the Vert-Castel economic zone, in the heart of the Mérignac airpark, are ordered by all the largest business aircraft manufacturers: Dassault, Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier, Airbus Corporate Jets…

If the company exports 95% of its activities, it sources its spare parts mainly in France, including more than 50% in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Erem in Canéjan, Atek in Latresne or Copelectronic in Mouguerre), which gives it an advantage. responsiveness and ease in the supply chain. “We are also in a dynamic area, with all these companies in the aeronautics sector and a significant employment area,” he appreciates.

To become a market leader, Otonomy aviation has focused on the innovation of its products. “We marketed our first cameras in 2012 and landed our first big contracts in 2018. Above all, we were the first to move from analog to digital at the time, and from HD to 4K,” explains Guillaume Daudon. These small cameras, barely a few centimeters long, are a concentrate of technology. They equip private and government jets, in a booming market, and allow passengers to observe the landscape in mid-flight.

Security and data

“But they are increasingly used by pilots to ensure the safety of the plane, with a viewing angle all around the cabin. They can be coupled with sensors, to have a reversing camera like in cars. They also monitor the plane,” explains the founder. Otonomy aviation also designs complementary systems of radars, lidars (laser remote sensing), computers, screens and ground servers, to allow cameras to retrieve data and optimize flights (better trajectory, avoid collisions, etc.). “It’s a niche market that is becoming more widespread,” assures Guillaume Daudon, who aims to conquer the commercial aviation market.

The SME with around forty employees continues to grow and will increase to around fifty employees within three years. With a turnover which increases by one million euros each year, on a constant trajectory, it should reach around ten million euros in two years, well supported by the Ouest growth investment fund, a subsidiary of the People's Bank. “In a dynamic aeronautics market, in full transformation, we have opportunities. Our growth will come through acquisitions. »