Destinus Group BV announced a binding agreement to acquire Zurich-based Daedalean AG, a leader in aviation AI solutions. The acquisition, valued at CHF 180 million (approximately €190 million) in a combined cash-and-stock transaction, is expected to close by the end of 2025. This move will integrate cutting-edge AI into Destinus’s core products, significantly boosting the company’s technological capabilities.
Established in 2016, Daedalean is a pioneer in safety-critical, certifiable AI avionics software. Its technology provides AI-assisted piloting, enhanced environmental awareness, and navigation capabilities, even in environments where GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is unavailable.
This transaction is a key part of Destinus’s strategy to expand its artificial intelligence solutions for unmanned flight systems in both civil and defense sectors, solidifying its market position.
Tim Moser, Co-founder and CTO of Destinus, commented: “This acquisition strengthens our technological position by adding world-class AI expertise and deep-learning specialists. Integrating Daedalean’s innovative solutions and exceptional team will accelerate our strategy to develop, certify, and launch intelligent UAV systems for defense and civil markets.”
Bas Gouverneur, CEO of Daedalean, added: “Joining Destinus is a logical next step after our successful collaboration. Together, we’ll deliver innovative AI-driven autonomy, swarm intelligence, and sophisticated decision-making tools to market faster, making flight safer, more resilient, and operationally flexible.”
Daedalean’s team includes over 150 specialists, including 13 PhDs with deep expertise in AI, machine learning, and avionics. The integration of their solutions will accelerate Destinus’s ability to deliver intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems.
The AI solutions developed by Daedalean are designed to improve human operators’ effectiveness and support decision-making in managing flight systems and drone swarms. These tools offer better tactical insight and significantly enhance mission adaptability, resilience, and operational effectiveness.
The two companies have a history of successful collaboration, making the integration of artificial intelligence into Destinus products a natural progression. The combination of Destinus’s aerospace engineering with Daedalean’s software and AI expertise is expected to accelerate innovation, reduce time to market, and enhance global competitiveness.
About Destinus
Founded in 2021, Destinus is a vertically integrated European developer of flight systems for civil and defense applications. With a team of over 500 employees, it has become one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company has operations in Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Spain, and Ukraine.
About Daedalean
Daedalean, headquartered in Switzerland, develops certifiable AI software solutions for avionics. Founded by former Google and SpaceX engineers, the company has grown to over 150 employees, including 13 PhDs. It delivers systems that provide AI assistance for pilots, visual navigation, and advanced environmental insight, improving safety even in GNSS-denied environments.
