Dropla Tech: 10 Key Things You Must Know

Overview

Dropla Tech is an innovative Danish-Ukrainian technology company specializing in advanced AI-powered solutions to detect and neutralize explosive threats such as landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Founded in 2023, the startup harnesses cutting-edge sensor fusion, autonomous drone swarms, and robotic ground vehicles to transform the hazardous and time-consuming process of demining. Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, with research and development operations in Ukraine, Dropla Tech is rapidly emerging as a leading player in humanitarian demining and defense technology. Their solutions not only bolster military operations but also accelerate post-conflict recovery and agricultural safety. This article explores ten essential facets of Dropla Tech, shedding light on their technology, development, and impactful contributions toward a safer world.

1. Founding and Background

Dropla Tech was founded in 2023 by four Ukrainian entrepreneurs: V’yacheslav Shvaidak (CEO), Dmytro Zarubin (CTO), Maksym Tkachenko (Head of Engineering), and Illarion Karnaukh (Head Designer). Recognizing Ukraine’s critical need for advanced demining technology due to extensive land contamination from ongoing conflicts, the founders set out to pioneer sensor fusion by integrating electro-optical, magnetic, and electromagnetic sensing. Combining deep expertise in robotics, AI, and remote sensing, Dropla Tech was established as a Danish-Ukrainian partnership, headquartered in Odense, Denmark. Early access to real battlefield data through the Ukrainian defense tech cluster BRAVE1 gave Dropla a strategic edge by enabling realistic AI training and rigorous field validation.

2. Core Technology: AI and Sensor Fusion

At the heart of Dropla Tech’s innovation is an advanced sensor fusion platform that integrates data from multiple remote sensing modalities—optical, thermal, multispectral, magnetic, and LiDAR sensors. This multilayer data fusion allows the system to detect, classify, and localize various explosive threats with high precision. Their AI algorithms analyze this sensory input in real time, distinguishing landmines and UXOs from harmless objects with a reported detection accuracy of over 95%. Crucially, Dropla’s edge AI technology processes data locally on ruggedized compute modules onboard drones and ground vehicles, eliminating the need for continuous internet connectivity and enhancing operational reliability in contested environments.

3. Innovative Drone Swarm and Ground Robotics

Unlike conventional single-drone systems, Dropla deploys swarms of up to six autonomous UAVs equipped with sensor fusion capabilities. This enables rapid scanning of large areas—up to 0.5 square kilometers per day—significantly speeding up surveys compared to manual or single-drone methods. These high-resolution maps are georeferenced to precisely mark hazardous zones. Complementing airborne detection, Dropla employs remotely operated ground vehicles (UGVs) designed to clear vegetation and verify that no hazards remain undetected. These UGVs are engineered to withstand detonations from anti-personnel mines, thus enabling safe entry for human deminers. This integrated aerial and ground approach maximizes both speed and safety of demining operations.

4. European Support and Strategic Funding

Dropla Tech has successfully raised €2.4 million in pre-seed funding led by strategic backers including the Danish Export and Investment Fund (EIFO), Maj Invest Holding, and venture firm Final Frontier. This capital infusion supports scaling production, strengthening R&D, and accelerating integration into NATO’s C4ISR ecosystem. Danish authorities back Dropla Tech’s role in enhancing European defense sovereignty, while Ukrainian military stakeholders provide operational requirements that ensure battlefield relevance. The company participates in innovation programs such as the Odense Robotics StartUp Fund, benefiting from incubator mentorship to refine business and technical strategies.

5. Largest European Landmine Detection Dataset

To train and validate their AI models under realistic conditions, Dropla Tech constructed DROPLA HUB194, one of Europe’s most comprehensive and controlled testing grounds. It houses over 300 real landmines, ERWs (Explosive Remnants of War), and UXOs, resulting in a dataset of 1.8 million labeled frames by mid-2025. This extensive real-world data enables the company to fine-tune detection algorithms with various sensor combinations and environmental complexities, ensuring high detection rates even in challenging terrains and degraded GPS or communication environments.

6. Dual-Use Applications: Military and Humanitarian

While initially addressing urgent military needs—such as protecting troop movements from ambushes and safely securing logistics routes—Dropla Tech’s platform is inherently dual-use. Their DROPLA VISION software suite supports humanitarian demining operations by planning rapid, efficient surveys and generating threat maps used by non-technical and technical ground teams. This dual applicability facilitates post-conflict land release and agricultural rehabilitation in Ukraine and worldwide regions affected by mines. The company’s efforts contribute directly toward reducing the time and cost of demining, aims that resonate with global peace and security objectives.

7. Overcoming Operational Challenges: GNSS Denied Environments

A notable feature of Dropla Tech’s AI system, BLUE EYES, is its operational independence from cloud servers and satellite navigation. Given that electromagnetic interference and GPS jamming are common near frontline areas, Dropla’s edge computing module ensures autonomous detection and precise georeferencing even in GNSS-denied environments. This resilience enhances mission continuity under harsh electronic warfare conditions, meeting critical NATO requirements for offline threat detection.

8. Strategic Collaborations and Industry Recognition

Dropla Tech maintains close collaborations with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, the BRAVE1 defense tech cluster, and Danish innovation ecosystems, enabling continuous feedback from end users and ensuring real-world operational relevance. The European Space Agency (ESA) recognized Dropla’s expertise by awarding contracts to study navigational resilience and drone swarm coordination in denied environments for humanitarian applications. This growing institutional support reflects wider acknowledgment of the company’s potential to revolutionize mine action and defense tech.

9. Cost and Time Efficiency Impact

Traditional demining in Ukraine, with 144,000 sq. km of mine-affected land, would take over 70 years and cost upwards of €33.5 billion. Dropla Tech’s approach targets a dramatic reduction—potentially cutting per-square-meter clearance costs from €1-3 to about €0.10, and shortening clearance duration from 70 years to approximately 12 years. The combination of faster aerial surveys and robotic ground verification reduces human risk and conserves critical resources, making demining exponentially safer, faster, and more cost-effective.

10. Future Prospects and Expansion Plans

Having proven their technology in Ukraine, Dropla Tech aims to broaden its impact to other post-conflict regions globally afflicted by explosive hazards. Their roadmap includes enhancing AI detection capabilities for a wider array of object types, increasing swarm autonomy, and integrating with various unmanned platforms. Continued R&D and expanded manufacturing capacity are planned to support deployment across European defense forces and humanitarian organizations. Through innovation and collaboration, Dropla Tech aspires to become a flagship provider in European mine action and humanitarian demining services.

Conclusion

Dropla Tech embodies how cutting-edge robotics, AI, and sensor fusion technologies converge to tackle one of the world’s most persistent humanitarian and military challenges: landmine and explosive threat detection. By pioneering drone swarms, unmanned ground vehicles, and autonomous edge AI processing, the company accelerates mine clearance efforts that save lives and restore devastated lands. Strategic European and Ukrainian partnerships underpin their technological advances and growing recognition as a leader in defense innovation. As Dropla Tech scales and expands worldwide, its vision of enabling faster, safer, and more affordable mine action offers renewed hope for conflict-affected communities longing for safe and productive lands. The future may well see a significantly demined planet, not centuries away, but within a decade.