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2023-01-25

EDGE Invests in Unmanned Air Traffic Management Provider High Lander

The UAE’s EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, has announced a strategic investment in High Lander. The company is behind the Universal UTM, a drone-agnostic unmanned traffic management solution, which provides the automation, coordination, and safety much needed in increasingly crowded skies.

The US$14 million investment will create a strong partnership and is already forging ongoing deals and high-value opportunities in the military and civilian domains between some of the world’s biggest technology providers as both companies progress along their respective roadmaps.

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Chairman of the Board of EDGE, said: “As EDGE grows rapidly, and with our focus being directed to the development of world-leading autonomous aerospace solutions, the need for a superior and readily available air traffic management platform could not be more urgent. Today’s operating environments require advanced unmanned air traffic control systems, and High Lander provides the only truly universal solution for this critical requirement. Our investment in High Lander as a major shareholder is logical for EDGE and mutually beneficial and opportune for both companies, allowing us to grow and perfect these solutions further in both the military and civilian domains.”

As part of its international growth strategy, EDGE, comprising a portfolio of 20 complementary companies, is focusing on developing autonomous systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), smart weapons, and cyber technologies. The group is keen to further assist High Lander in developing its next-generation Universal UTM solution, which enables the safe coexistence of manned and unmanned aviation. EDGE aims to utilise Universal UTM in the management of autonomous operations.

Alon Abelson, co-founder and CEO of High Lander, added: “We are excited about the strategic partnership with EDGE because it strengthens High Lander’s position as a market leader in drone fleet management and UTM spaces as we begin to scale globally. High Lander and EDGE aim to create the most technologically advanced airspace automation systems possible, and we look forward to working with EDGE for many years to come.”

High Lander’s Universal UTM oversees the busiest airspaces, enabling multiple, simultaneous drone operations. From pre-flight authorisation to mid-mission changes and post-flight logs, Universal UTM enables efficient management of all aspects of airspace control.

Mansour AlMulla, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE, shared: “High Lander is a growing tech company with huge potential, operating with a start-up mindset yet drawing from decades of experience in the aviation sector. This, coupled with the highest levels of innovation, has allowed it to create an opportunity in the autonomous air traffic sector, which needs transformation. This is a win-win partnership.”

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