PERSPECTIVE ROBOTICS AG

Their core work

Perspective Robotics AG, operating under the brand Fotokite, develops tethered aerial drone systems designed specifically for emergency first responders — particularly firefighters. Their core product is a tethered drone that deploys rapidly from the ground to provide persistent aerial video and situational awareness during active incidents, without requiring a trained pilot. The tether solves the key operational problems of limited battery life, regulatory airspace restrictions, and operator training burden that conventional drones impose on emergency services. Their H2020 work focused on scaling this technology from prototype to a market-ready product for fire brigades across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only two projects — both from 2019 and both carrying the same title — there is no multi-year keyword evolution to trace. What the data does reveal is a deliberate commercialization arc: a Phase 1 feasibility study immediately followed by a Phase 2 full-scale development grant in the same year, suggesting the company had strong prior results and was ready to accelerate. This SME Instrument Phase 1 → Phase 2 pathway is the EU's fast-track route for high-potential startups, indicating that Fotokite was already well beyond early-stage concept work when it entered H2020.

Fotokite completed the EU SME Instrument pathway through Phase 2 by 2021, suggesting their H2020 trajectory was a commercialization sprint rather than ongoing research — future collaboration would likely involve deployment partnerships, integration into emergency command systems, or expansion to new first-responder verticals rather than fundamental R&D.

How they like to work

Fotokite ran both H2020 projects as sole coordinator with no consortium partners, which is the standard structure for SME Instrument grants — these are intentionally company-only awards designed to fund product development, not research consortia. This means their EU project track record tells us little about how they collaborate in multi-partner settings. For anyone looking to partner with them, expect them to operate as a technology provider bringing a finished or near-finished product, rather than as a research collaborator sharing early-stage development.

Fotokite's H2020 participation involved no external consortium partners — both grants were sole-company SME Instrument awards. Their formal EU collaboration network is therefore limited to zero recorded H2020 partners, though their customer and pilot network in the emergency services sector is likely broader and not reflected in this data.

What sets them apart

Fotokite occupies a narrow but clearly defined niche: tethered drones purpose-built for fire service operations, where the tether is not a limitation but a deliberate design choice that eliminates pilot licensing requirements and provides unlimited flight endurance. Unlike general-purpose commercial drone companies that adapt consumer hardware for emergency use, Fotokite built the product from the ground up for the operational realities of a fireground — fast deployment, no pilot needed, continuous power. This makes them a rare specialist in a sector where most competitors are generalists.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Fotokite
  The Phase 2 grant of nearly €2.5M is one of the largest single-company SME Instrument Phase 2 awards in the public safety sector, reflecting the European Commission's assessment of Fotokite's commercial readiness and market potential.
• FOTOKITE-SME-P1
  The Phase 1 feasibility study that unlocked the Phase 2 award, demonstrating a clean SME Instrument progression — relatively rare for hardware deeptech companies, which typically struggle to advance past Phase 1.