DRONE HOPPER SL

Their core work

Drone Hopper is a Madrid-based SME that designs and builds heavy-duty UAVs specifically engineered for firefighting operations. Their core product is a large multirotor drone capable of carrying and deploying water mist during both day and night firefighting missions, with swarming capabilities for coordinated aerial response. They have progressed from concept validation through the SME Instrument phases to a major innovation action (WILDHOPPER), demonstrating a clear commercialization trajectory for their firefighting drone technology.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Drone Hopper started in 2017 with a basic concept for a firefighting drone (SME-1 phase), then scaled rapidly into full UAV development by 2019 with the EUR 2.5M WILDHOPPER project focused on hardware — multirotor design, water mist delivery, night operations, and drone swarming. By 2021, their participation in TREEADS signals expansion beyond hardware into integrated fire management ecosystems incorporating AI-based detection, prevention, and post-fire restoration. The trajectory moves clearly from "build a firefighting drone" toward "become a platform player in wildfire management."

Moving from pure UAV hardware toward AI-integrated fire management platforms, positioning themselves as a technology provider for the full wildfire lifecycle — not just suppression.

How they like to work

Drone Hopper primarily leads their own projects — coordinating 3 out of 5 H2020 projects, including their flagship WILDHOPPER. Their participant roles (FASTER, TREEADS) are in large multi-partner consortia where they contribute specialized drone technology. With 80 unique partners across 22 countries, they have built a broad European network quickly, suggesting they are an attractive technology partner that larger consortia actively recruit for their niche UAV firefighting expertise.

Extensive network of 80 partners across 22 countries built over just 5 projects, reflecting their participation in large security and climate-focused consortia. Their reach spans most of Europe, well beyond their Spanish base.

What sets them apart

Drone Hopper occupies an extremely specific niche: heavy-payload UAVs designed from the ground up for firefighting, including night operations and water mist deployment. Unlike general-purpose drone companies that adapt existing platforms, their entire R&D pipeline — from SME Instrument Phase 1 through a EUR 2.5M innovation action — is purpose-built for wildfire suppression. For any consortium addressing forest fires, emergency response, or climate adaptation in fire-prone regions, they bring a rare combination of specialized hardware and growing software integration.

Highlights from their portfolio

• WILDHOPPER
  Their flagship project at EUR 2.49M — the largest single EC contribution — developing a heavy-duty firefighting drone with night operation and swarming capabilities.
• TREEADS
  Signals strategic expansion from hardware into AI-driven fire management ecosystems covering prevention, detection, and environmental restoration.
• FASTER
  Broadens their scope into general first-responder emergency technologies, connecting their drone expertise to security and civil protection applications.