Aveillant

Established in 2011 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Aveillant emerged from technology developed at Cambridge Consultants to commercialize groundbreaking holographic radar systems. The company secured $22.9 million in funding over three rounds from investors including DFJ, Draper Esprit, and Greencoat Capital before being acquired by the global technology group Thales in November 2017. The acquisition was a strategic move for Thales to integrate Aveillant's capabilities into its broader surveillance and security offerings, particularly for critical infrastructure protection.

Aveillant specializes in the design and manufacture of advanced 3D holographic radar technology for the aviation, defense, and security sectors. Unlike traditional scanning radars that act like a spotlight, Aveillant's holographic radar functions like a floodlight, constantly illuminating and monitoring the entire volume of airspace within its view. This 'staring array' approach allows for the continuous detection, tracking, and classification of all targets in three dimensions, providing a complete and persistent picture of the sky. The technology is software-defined, enabling updates to algorithms as threats, such as new types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), evolve.

The company's primary product, the Gamekeeper radar, is specifically optimized to detect and classify small, low-flying drones, distinguishing them from other objects like birds by analyzing micro-doppler signatures. It provides 3D tracking of targets up to 7.5 km away, with a high update rate, making it a critical component for counter-UAS strategies at sensitive sites. This system is deployed at major international airports, such as Paris Charles de Gaulle and Heathrow, to mitigate the risks posed by rogue drones. Another application is wind farm mitigation, where the Theia radar system can differentiate between aircraft and the movement of wind turbine blades, preventing false readings on air traffic control screens. Aveillant serves clients including airport operators, air navigation service providers, defense organizations, and wind farm developers.

Keywords: holographic radar, drone detection, counter-UAS, air surveillance, 3D radar, aviation security, wind farm mitigation, air traffic control, critical infrastructure protection, Thales, Gamekeeper radar, staring array radar, unmanned aerial vehicles, sUAS classification, airport safety, defense technology, radar systems, airspace monitoring, situational awareness, target classification