UPTEC startup pledges 750,000 dollars to bring medicines by drone to the neediest areas of the planet
UPTEC startup pledges 750,000 dollars to bring medicines by drone to the neediest areas of the planet
Storming Universe, a startup incubated at UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, has received a 750,000-dollar investment to develop a drone system for distributing urgent medicines and transporting blood to difficult-to-access areas, especially in developing countries.
Storming Universe wants to solve one of the main obstacles to democratized access to medical care worldwide. The difficulties developing countries face in this area are obvious because of the lack of infrastructure and the extreme climatic and geographical conditions in some of these regions.
Anuj Regmi, CEO of the startup and a researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), was born in Nepal, one of the areas of the planet that could benefit from this technology’s development, which has a personal significance. Anuj Regmi grew up in a country with limited access to reliable roads, especially during the monsoon season, when almost all the main highways and roads connecting rural areas are affected, making it practically impossible to deliver essential medicines and blood on time, leading to many avoidable deaths.
The researcher moved to Porto to do his master’s thesis at FEUP, where he developed a drone that combines low production costs with the robustness needed to democratize this solution worldwide.
Currently, the options on the market are too expensive for developing countries to use or too weak to withstand the extreme conditions of nations like Nepal. This is where Storming Universe wants to come in: with the production of a drone with Portuguese technology that is financially appealing and technically reliable for use in critical situations.
Testing the Technology
In August 2024, Storming Universe, in partnership with FEUP, the University of Beira Interior and the University of Kathmandu, carried out a successful drone delivery test in the Sindhuli district of Bagmati province in Nepal. This field test, aimed at proving the reliability of the technology beyond the laboratory, focused on evaluating the electronics, control and mechanical design. The test attracted significant attention, with Turkish Airlines sponsoring the transportation of the drone to Nepal. As a result, this milestone demonstrated the drone’s capabilities and opened up new investment opportunities for the company. Shortly, Storming Universe plans to deliver medicines to remote areas of Nepal at altitudes of over 5,000 meters. The success of these missions in a country with a challenging geography and limited access will allow Storming Universe’s drones to deliver medicines anywhere in the world.
For the CEO of Storming Universe, this solution could connect Madrid to the Azores in five hours and carry up to 500 kg of cargo. “These drones will not only deliver essential goods such as medicines and blood but also transport local products from the mountains. This means that we are saving lives, boosting the economic growth of remote areas and offering a real opportunity for global development. The drone we are developing can carry up to 500 kg with a range of 2,500 km. For example, we could connect Madrid to the Azores in just five hours. Currently, express freight transportation depends on planes with a certain capacity to be profitable, but we have identified that smaller cargo planes are the future of connecting cities. We believe we will achieve this goal by the end of 2027.”
Storming Universe, a startup incubated at UPTEC and a spin-off from FEUP, has secured a 750,000-dollar investment to boost access to medicines and blood transportation in developing countries.
October 28, 2024