The UAE's EDGE Group, one of the world's leading advanced technology and defence groups, has announced the acquisition of a 52% majority shareholding in ANAVIA, a Switzerland-based company that specialises in the design, development, and manufacturing of versatile vertical take-off & landing (VTOL) systems of up to 750 kilograms, and their associated capabilities. The move will see EDGE become a market leader in this highly-specialised domain.

ANAVIA produces a range of industry-leading unmanned helicopters for various mission profiles such as surveillance and reconnaissance, inspection, and mapping and cargo, which can be adapted to EDGE's cross-complementary portfolio of air, land, and maritime capabilities. The Group is placing a major focus on the development of autonomous systems.

Mansour AlMulla, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE Group, said: "The acquisition of a majority share in ANAVIA is an important step in EDGE's strategy of bolstering its advanced autonomous aerial vehicle capabilities as it rapidly expands its portfolio of multi-domain systems and solutions and its global export footprint. The deal will enable us to benefit from ANAVIA's proven experience in the development of high quality and technologically advanced unmanned helicopters to complement our existing range of autonomous aerial systems, and its established supply chains, to become a market leader in this field. It will also allow ANAVIA to take advantage of EDGE's scale and the opportunities this presents for further innovation across relevant areas of the group.”

ANAVIA employs a highly-skilled team of experts in the autonomous aircraft domain, covering areas such as composite, mechatronics, aircraft maintenance, flight testing, and software engineering.

Jon Andri Jörg, Founder & Co-CEO of ANAVIA, said: “Together with EDGE, we are poised to redefine the possibilities in this field and deliver ground-breaking solutions to meet the evolving demands of both military and civilian sectors, and there is great potential here. As we explore these synergies together and push the boundaries in our domain, we will continue to build on the unrivalled expertise which has seen ANAVIA grow rapidly as a leader in the production of superior 'Made in Switzerland' autonomous aerial solutions.”

Ishan Sahgal, Founder & Co-CEO of ANAVIA, added: “We are immensely proud of us forging this pioneering partnership and joining the EDGE family. It will enable us to collaborate on unmanned helicopter platforms, marking a significant milestone in autonomous aviation. It also reflects ANAVIA's commitment to pushing the boundaries of technological innovation and revolutionising the future of unmanned helicopter systems.”

EDGE will use its presence at the upcoming Dubai Airshow 2023, taking place from 13-17 November, to showcase ANAVIA's innovative VTOL solutions.