Asian Aviation Magazine Editor Matt Driskill is In Conversation with Nicolas Ang, the co-founder and CEO of F-DRONES in Singapore. Ang cofounded F-DRONES in 2019. The company is developing large-scale autonomous delivery drones for more efficient and sustainable maritime logistics. Previously, Ang was with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) for more than a decade. At EDB, he played key roles in shaping the transformation of Singapore’s of Marine & Offshore industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic and led the set-up of the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn) in 2013. In between, he spent six years in China and Australia, facilitating foreign investments into Singapore across multiple industry sectors. Ang graduated from the National University of Singapore, with Honours in Mechanical Engineering (Aeronautical).
F-DRONES announced in February that it raised its first funding round of seed capital. The round was led by Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), a world leading ship management company committed to green and technology-driven growth of the maritime industry. The round also saw participation from the Schulte Group, a reputed ship owner and manager with over 135 years of experience, through its venture arm – Innoport, along with SEEDS Capital, Entrepreneur First, Orient Ventures, Superangel and a few Singapore based angel investors. Gil Ofer, Special Advisor for Innovation at Eastern Pacific Shipping, said “EPS is proud to lead F-DRONES’ first seed round. We firmly believe they will reinvent the shore-to-ship delivery process by being faster, cheaper, and cleaner than any existing model in use today. F-drones also adds an urgent layer of safety for seafarers and service providers by limiting human contact for routine deliveries. We see F-drones as pioneers in an emerging space which has immense potential and we are excited to be part of their journey.” F-DRONES’ development has also been supported by various government agencies, including the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Its flight tests originally started at Marina South Pier and operations have now expanded to serve a larger area.
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