40 | Pg | success stories Swatter Company The drone-neutralising technology born in academia Swatter emerged from a technology transfer process from academia to the market. It is now a start-up in its consolidation phase and has developed an anti-drone system that is already in use by the military and public security entities. The company's founders first began research- ing radiofrequency-based anti-drone solutions for their master's theses in 2017. Co-founder Renato Branco recalls that they later expanded upon thistopic in their doctoral work. The re- sulting technology quickly attracted the atten- tion of investors. 'In 2021, with the support of Portugal Ventures, who believed in the technology's potential, we secured our first round of funding, enabling us to develop the first functional prototype”, says Renato Branco. “From then on, it was a natural evolution, driven by a highly motivated team ea- ger to turn scientific knowledge into a product”. Over the following years, the company focused on product development and participated in several military exercises and demonstrations with public security forces. “These moments were crucial for gathering feedback from po- tential end users and continuously refining our system”, the co-founder stresses. In 2024, the company sold its first units in Por- tugal to the armed forces and public security agencies. It received relevant distinctions and certifications, and secured its first large-scale supply contract. Swatter also collaborated with NATO on several exercises, customising equipment for specific missions.
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