Helicon raises $16.5m seed to scale automated composite production
AlleyCorp led the financing for the Torrance manufacturer’s software and robotic production line for drone structures.
Helicon announced a $16.5m seed round on October 20, led by AlleyCorp. Buckley Ventures, Mike Chalfen and a group of angel investors also participated. The company will use the capital to expand its team and production line for composite structures used in unmanned systems.
Its Argos software automates component engineering, mold design, simulation and production planning. Robots handle material placement, part extraction and trimming, while automated inspection feeds results back into the manufacturing process. The aim is to make varied, lightweight structures at volumes that would otherwise require scarce specialist labor.
The company is ramping production at a 36,000-square-foot facility in Torrance, California. Co-founder and CEO Alex Niehaus told Tectonic that the facility could produce more than a million small-drone frames a year. That is stated capacity as production expands; the company said it had fewer than ten customers with high-volume requirements.
Use of funds
Expand team and automated composite production line at Torrance factory