08 Oct sees.ai secures £3.65m to accelerate world-first centralised autonomous drone operations for critical national infrastructure
London, October 2025 – sees.ai, the UK’s leading autonomous aerial solutions pioneer, has raised £3.65 million in a funding round co-led by Sustainable Future Ventures, Hearst Ventures and Elbow Beach, with participation from WakeUp Capital. This funding will accelerate the company’s ability to deliver unprecedented insights that transform how critical national infrastructure is designed, developed and managed.
A new age of nationwide, centrally controlled autonomous robotics
The investment cements sees.ai’s leadership in the remote capture of high-value aerial data at national scale, from a central control room. Supported by Boeing, XeleratedFifty and the UK Government’s Future Flight Challenge, sees.ai became the 1first company in the UK to secure Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) authorisation for routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions in non-segregated airspace. Building on this breakthrough, sees.ai has now secured a landmark contract with National Grid to inspect, survey and monitor the UK’s electricity transmission network.
sees.ai’s proprietary technology enables the remote operation of complex, close- quarter missions nationwide around live power lines, oil and gas assets, nuclear facilities, railways and other critical infrastructure. The system captures consistent, precise, AI-ready data at scale – data that was previously impossible to obtain – unlocking insights that can strengthen infrastructure design, quality assurance and operational reliability and resilience.
Scaling with new funding
With this investment, sees.ai is expanding its team and equipment to support the rollout of its technology across National Grid’s 7,200 km transmission network in the UK – a milestone in National Grid’s digital transformation journey and the UK’s energy transition. The company will grow its headcount from 25 to more than 35 this year and scale its fleet to meet rising demand and unlock new use cases across the UK and Europe.
Conan Lauterpacht, Founding Partner, Sustainable Future Ventures, said: sees.ai sits at the intersection of two defining megatrends of our time – the application of AI to unlock new levels of efficiency, and the global transition to clean energy. Their autonomous inspection technology has the potential to transform how critical infrastructure is managed, delivering safer, faster and more scalable insights. SFV is excited to back this outstanding team as they scale their solution, which is both commercially compelling and vital to the net zero transition.”
Shaneel Parekh, Principal at Hearst Ventures said: “Infrastructure operators worldwide are grappling with aging assets, rising demand, and the urgent need for accurate, real-time insights. sees.ai’s autonomous drone system is unlocking mission-critical data at national scale – providing operators with the intelligence to extend asset lifespans, reduce outages, and accelerate upgrades. Their work with National Grid demonstrates the transformative potential of this technology, and we are excited to support John and the team as they deliver a safer, more efficient and resilient future for critical infrastructure.”
Jonathan Pollock, CEO of Elbow Beach, said: “sees.ai is poised to capitalise on a growing market opportunity that supports Britain’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Their technology addresses critical industrial challenges while contributing to decarbonisation, aligning perfectly with the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. We are excited to support their growth as they continue to showcase the world-class capabilities of British innovation.”
John McKenna, CEO of sees.ai, added:
The precision and value of the asset condition data we are now capturing is unmatched globally. This funding will accelerate our ability to deliver precise intelligence at network scale, shaping how critical infrastructure is designed, developed and managed. As one of the world’s first large-scale implementations of centralised autonomy, this deployment signals the start of an enormous period of growth and abundance, where AI and drones redefine work, boost efficiency, and empower us to better safeguard our planet. We are excited to have the support of these phenomenal investors.”