ARDN Technology

ARDN Technology, a Russian company founded in 2017, is the developer of the SKYF platform, a heavy-duty, unmanned aerial carrier. Development of the SKYF platform commenced in 2014, with the first full-size prototype flight occurring in the spring of 2016. The project is spearheaded by CEO Alexander Timofeev, a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in high-tech projects and investment attraction. The company's core offering is the SKYF drone, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for industrial and commercial applications.

The SKYF drone distinguishes itself with a hybrid propulsion system. It utilizes the power and endurance of a gasoline engine for its main lift propellers and employs electric motors for steering and stabilization. This design separates lift from control, enabling both heavy-lift capacity and long-endurance flights. The drone can carry payloads up to 400 kg and has a flight range of up to 350 km with a lighter 50 kg load. It operates on regular gasoline, has a flight duration of up to 8 hours, and can be prepared for flight in just 10 minutes from its transport container. ARDN Technology targets large companies in sectors like agriculture, logistics, and oil & gas. For instance, the drone is suited for tasks such as crop spraying, cargo delivery to remote areas, and firefighting. The business model is based on a Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) concept.

In conjunction with the drone hardware, the company launched SKYFchain, a blockchain-based operating platform designed as a Business-to-Robots (B2R) system. This platform aims to create a secure ecosystem for managing and financing cargo robotics, initially focused on the SKYF drone. It uses smart contracts on the Ethereum platform and its own utility token, SKYFT, for transactions within the network, intended to facilitate secure data exchange and payments for logistics operations without human intermediaries. In 2018, ARDN Technology signed a memorandum of understanding with the large Chinese logistics company ZTO Express for future purchases of the SKYF platform. The company also expanded its production site in Kazan with plans for small-lot production.

Keywords: heavy-lift drone, cargo drone, VTOL aircraft, hybrid propulsion, unmanned aerial vehicle, Drone-as-a-Service, logistics, aerial platform, agricultural drone, blockchain logistics