Avy B.V.
Avy is a Dutch technology company developing long-range vertical-takeoff-and-landing drones and the aerial networks used to operate them.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Avy B.V. is a Dutch drone-technology company founded in Amsterdam in 2016 by Patrique Zaman. The company develops unmanned aircraft and supporting infrastructure for long-range missions, with an emphasis on healthcare logistics, emergency response, search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and other applications where aircraft may provide a faster or more flexible alternative to road transport or conventional helicopter operations. Avy's central product concept combines vertical takeoff and landing with a fixed-wing airframe. This configuration allows an aircraft to take off and land in confined areas like a helicopter while using wings for more efficient forward flight than a conventional multirotor drone. The company's systems are designed for beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions and include not only aircraft but also docking stations, communications, control software, and network-control capabilities. Together, these components form an aerial-drone network that can be remotely supervised and used repeatedly from locally installed stations. The company participated in the European Space Agency's business-incubation program during the 2015–2017 period and received early international attention in 2017 as one of the finalists in the UAE Drones for Good Award in Dubai. It also undertook beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions in three South African national parks and appeared in the Stedelijk Museum's Design for Refugees exhibition. Avy moved to a new Amsterdam headquarters in 2018 and received seed investment from Orange Wings. Avy's second drone, the Avy Aera, was introduced at Amsterdam Drone Week in December 2019. The Aera is a VTOL fixed-wing aircraft with modular payload capability. Depending on its configuration, it can carry medical cargo, imaging equipment, or emergency-response payloads. A medical module is designed for temperature-controlled transport of items such as blood, laboratory samples, vaccines, and other medical commodities. An RGB and thermal-camera payload can support wildfire detection and monitoring. The company has developed its offering through public-sector, healthcare, logistics, telecommunications, and emergency-services collaborations. In the Netherlands, Avy joined the Medical Drone Service consortium, which investigated whether drones could support healthcare logistics between hospitals, laboratories, and blood-bank facilities. The consortium included aviation, logistics, healthcare, blood-bank, laboratory, and telecommunications organizations. Avy also worked with emergency-service partners on early wildfire detection in the Netherlands, using thermal and visible-light imaging to identify fires at an early stage. Internationally, Avy took part in the Lake Kivu Challenge in Rwanda in 2020, competing in the Emergency Delivery category and receiving a safety award. In 2021, it participated in the Drones for Health project in Botswana with Botswana International University of Science and Technology, the United Nations Population Fund, and Botswana's Ministry of Health and Wellness. The project explored drone delivery of health supplies and emergency commodities, particularly in support of maternal-health services and communities that are difficult to reach quickly by road. Avy's work has been recognized through awards including the 2020 Blue Tulip Award for Best Mobility Innovation and a 2021 Airwards award in the Emergency Response and Search and Rescue category, connected with its wildfire-warning work. Publicly available reference material does not establish the company's current ownership, revenue, stock-market status, chief executive, or a separate corporate website. Avy is therefore best characterized as an active, privately held Dutch drone-technology brand whose business model centers on integrated aircraft, docking, communications, and operational networks rather than on consumer drones.
History
Avy B.V. was founded in 2016 in Amsterdam by Patrique Zaman as a technology company focused on professional drone operations. Its work developed around the challenge of combining the accessibility of vertical takeoff and landing with the range and endurance advantages of fixed-wing flight. Rather than concentrating on consumer multirotors, Avy pursued aircraft and operational systems for long-distance missions, including healthcare delivery, emergency response, and environmental surveillance. The company took part in the European Space Agency's incubation program during the 2015–2017 period. In 2017, it became one of ten finalists in the UAE Drones for Good Award in Dubai. That same year, Avy exhibited in the Stedelijk Museum as part of the Design for Refugees exhibition and carried out its first beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions in three South African national parks: Hluhluwe, Adventures with Elephants, and Leshiba. These activities demonstrated the company's interest in operating aircraft in remote areas and in using drones for public-interest and conservation-related purposes. In 2018, Avy moved to a new headquarters in Amsterdam and received seed investment from Orange Wings. The company subsequently expanded its focus from individual aircraft toward integrated drone infrastructure. Its proposed system included a drone, a locally installed docking station for autonomous takeoff, landing, checking, and charging, and a network-control center capable of remote operation. This architecture was intended to support recurring missions rather than isolated demonstrations. Avy's second drone, the Avy Aera, was released at Amsterdam Drone Week from 4 to 6 December 2019. The Aera is a VTOL fixed-wing drone: it can rise and descend vertically, but uses wings during forward flight. Reference material describes a maximum payload of up to 1.5 kilograms and a mission range and endurance that vary by configuration and specification source. The platform supports modular payloads, including an RGB and thermal-camera gimbal for wildfire monitoring and a cooled medical cargo box for transporting temperature-sensitive commodities. It was also described as certified for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation under the relevant European drone rules. Late 2019 saw the formation of the Medical Drone Service consortium in the Netherlands. The group brought together aviation operator ANWB MAA, logistics company PostNL, hospitals including Erasmus MC and Isala, blood bank Sanquin, telecom company KPN, laboratory organization Certe, and Avy. The three-year pilot examined how drones could contribute to future healthcare logistics and help preserve access to care. During the project, ANWB MAA conducted early beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights on routes linking healthcare locations and a blood bank, while Avy and KPN served as technology partners. In 2020, Avy received a reported €1.4 million subsidy grant from the EU Horizon 2020 program. It also competed in the Lake Kivu Challenge, a VTOL-drone competition hosted by the African Drone Forum in Rwanda. Avy entered the Emergency Delivery category and received a safety award. The company additionally won a Blue Tulip Award for Best Mobility Innovation, reinforcing its positioning in professional mobility rather than recreational drone use. Avy continued its public-health and emergency-response work in 2021. In Botswana, it partnered with Botswana International University of Science and Technology, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Botswana Ministry of Health and Wellness on the Drones for Health project. Officially launched on 7 May 2021, the initiative explored delivery of health supplies and emergency commodities to communities that could be difficult to reach quickly by road, with a particular focus on reducing maternal-health risks. Reference material states that the Aera reached certain communities 65 percent faster than ordinary road transport, although the specific routes and measurement methodology are not detailed in the available article. Avy also worked with CHC Helicopters and the Safety Region of North Holland on wildfire-detection research. In February 2021, an Aera equipped with visible-light and thermal imaging conducted test flights in De Hoge Veluwe National Park for the Veiligheidsregio Noord- en Oost-Gelderland and Veiligheidsregio Gelderland-Midden. Further phases were planned for later in 2021 over the Veluwe. The objective was to support early warning through regular aerial observation. A related project with the Dutch fire brigade received a 2021 Airwards award in the Emergency Response and Search and Rescue category. The available reference material does not document a public listing, current ownership, revenue, a current executive roster, or a distinct corporate website. Avy's documented history nevertheless shows a progression from incubated drone venture to an integrated professional aviation-technology provider, with its strongest public use cases in medical logistics, emergency services, and environmental monitoring.
- 2021
Drones for Health begins in Botswana
[1]Avy joined BIUST, UNFPA, and Botswana's Ministry of Health and Wellness in a medical-delivery project.
- 2020
Horizon 2020 grant reported
[1]Avy received a reported €1.4 million subsidy grant from the EU Horizon 2020 program.
- 2020
Lake Kivu Challenge recognition
[1]Avy competed in the Emergency Delivery category in Rwanda and received a safety award.
- 2019
Avy Aera introduced
[1]Avy launched its Avy Aera VTOL fixed-wing drone at Amsterdam Drone Week.
- 2019
Medical Drone Service consortium formed
[1]Avy joined a Dutch multi-organization pilot investigating drone-based healthcare logistics.
- 2018
Amsterdam headquarters move and seed investment
[1]Avy moved to a new Amsterdam headquarters and received seed investment from Orange Wings.
- 2017
ESA incubation and early international activity
[1]Avy participated in the European Space Agency incubation program, became a finalist in the UAE Drones for Good Award, exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum, and conducted early BVLOS missions in South Africa.
- 2016
Avy is founded in Amsterdam
[1]Patrique Zaman founded Avy B.V. in Amsterdam as a company focused on professional drone technology.
Products and positioning
Long-range, networked aerial mobility for healthcare logistics, emergency response, environmental monitoring, and other professional beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions.
VTOL fixed-wing drone · 2019
Avy Aera
The Avy Aera is a professional vertical-takeoff-and-landing fixed-wing aircraft introduced in December 2019. Its vertical-flight capability is intended to reduce the need for runways, while its fixed-wing configuration supports longer forward flight than a conventional quadcopter. The platform has modular payload capability and can be configured for medical transport, environmental observation, wildfire detection, and emergency response. Published reference material describes payload capacity of up to 1.5 kilograms, with specifications varying by stated configuration.
Drone infrastructure
Avy Aera docking station
The docking station is a locally installed and secured facility intended to support autonomous Aera operations. It can provide a place for takeoff, landing, inspection, and charging, while connecting the aircraft to a remote network-control center. This infrastructure allows Avy's aircraft to be used as part of a recurring aerial network rather than requiring operators to manually deploy the drone for every mission.
Medical-delivery payload
Medical cargo module
The medical payload is an insulated cargo module for transporting temperature-sensitive healthcare materials. Reference material describes controlled transport between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius for items such as blood, laboratory samples, vaccines, and other medical commodities. The module forms part of Avy's healthcare-logistics proposition and was examined through Dutch and Botswana-related medical-delivery projects.
Monitoring payload
RGB and thermal imaging payload
The Aera can be equipped with a stabilized gimbal carrying visible-light RGB and thermal cameras. This configuration is intended for applications such as wildfire detection, environmental monitoring, and emergency observation. Thermal imaging can help identify heat signatures while RGB imagery provides visual context for operators and emergency services.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Drones for Health
Botswana
Avy partnered with BIUST, UNFPA, and Botswana's Ministry of Health and Wellness to study drone delivery of health supplies and emergency commodities to communities that can be slow to reach by road.
Outcome. The project was officially launched on 7 May 2021. Reference material reports that the Aera was 65 percent faster than common road transport for certain communities, but does not provide broader program results.
- 2021Wildfire detection trials
Netherlands
Avy worked with CHC Helicopters and Dutch safety regions to test Aera aircraft with RGB and thermal cameras for early wildfire detection in and around De Hoge Veluwe and the Veluwe.
Outcome. Testing proceeded in phases during 2021, and an associated emergency-response project received an Airwards award.
- 2020Lake Kivu Challenge
Rwanda
Avy entered the Emergency Delivery category of the VTOL-drone competition hosted by the African Drone Forum.
Outcome. Avy received a safety award during the challenge.
Brand decisions
2021
Application of the Aera to public-health deliveryStrategyBackground
Some communities in Botswana may be difficult to serve rapidly through road transport, particularly for urgent health commodities.
Action taken
Avy partnered with BIUST, UNFPA, and Botswana's Ministry of Health and Wellness on the Drones for Health project.
Aftermath
The initiative was launched in May 2021 and evaluated drone delivery for health supplies and emergency commodities, including maternal-health applications.
2019
Launch of the Avy AeraProduct launchBackground
Avy sought to address professional missions requiring both vertical access and longer-range fixed-wing flight.
Action taken
The company introduced the Aera VTOL fixed-wing drone at Amsterdam Drone Week in December 2019, with modular payload support for medical, monitoring, and emergency applications.
Aftermath
The Aera became the documented platform for Avy's healthcare, wildfire-monitoring, and emergency-delivery projects.
2019
Expansion into integrated medical-drone networksStrategyBackground
Healthcare logistics requires aircraft, operators, communications, payload handling, and coordination with medical institutions.
Action taken
Avy joined the Medical Drone Service consortium as a technology partner alongside aviation, logistics, healthcare, blood-bank, laboratory, and telecommunications organizations.
Aftermath
The consortium conducted pilot work, including initial BVLOS flights on routes connecting healthcare facilities and a blood bank.
Recent events
- 2021
Avy launches the Drones for Health project in Botswana[1]
Other
Avy partnered with BIUST, UNFPA, and Botswana's Ministry of Health and Wellness on a project using drones to deliver health supplies and emergency commodities.
- 2021
Avy-linked wildfire-response project wins an Airwards award[1]
Other
A project associated with Avy and Dutch emergency-service partners won an Airwards award in the Emergency Response and Search and Rescue category.
- 2020
Avy receives a €1.4 million Horizon 2020 subsidy grant[1]
Other
Avy received a reported €1.4 million subsidy grant through the European Union's Horizon 2020 program.
- 2020
Avy wins a safety award at the Lake Kivu Challenge[1]
Other
Avy competed in the Emergency Delivery category of the Lake Kivu Challenge in Rwanda and received a safety award.
- 2020
Avy receives the Blue Tulip Award for Best Mobility Innovation[1]
Other
Avy won the Blue Tulip Award in the Best Mobility Innovation category.
- 2019
Avy unveils the Avy Aera at Amsterdam Drone Week[1]
Product launch
The company introduced its Avy Aera VTOL fixed-wing drone at Amsterdam Drone Week in December 2019.
- 2019
Avy joins the Medical Drone Service consortium[1]
Other
Avy became a technology partner in a Dutch consortium studying the use of drones for healthcare logistics between hospitals, laboratories, and a blood bank.
- 2018
Avy receives seed investment from Orange Wings[1]
Other
Avy received seed investment from Orange Wings after moving to a new headquarters in Amsterdam.
- 2017
Avy reaches the final stage of the UAE Drones for Good Award[1]
Other
Avy was listed among the ten finalists in the UAE Drones for Good Award in Dubai.
Sources1 sources
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