Eirale

Eirale is an aerospace and defense technology company headquartered in Toulouse, France. Founded in 2016 as a joint venture between the European Space Agency and the French aerospace firm Safran, its primary mission is to develop autonomous aircraft and drone systems for both civil and military applications.

The company’s flagship product line, the Eirale EDI (Electronic Drone Interface), integrates advanced sensor fusion, AI-based navigation, and secure communication modules. EDI drones have been deployed in joint training exercises across several NATO nations, and their high endurance payloads are utilized for maritime surveillance, search and rescue, and environmental monitoring.

Eirale also operates a research and development center in Nantes, which collaborates with universities and research institutes on machine learning, swarming algorithms, and autonomous decision‑making. The firm has published several peer‑reviewed papers in international journals on unmanned flight control systems and cyber‑physical security.

In 2020, Eirale announced a strategic partnership with Airbus to integrate its autonomous modules into the newcomer A350 aircraft’s cargo operations. The same year, it secured €80 million in Series B funding led by the European Investment Bank, earmarked for production scale‑up and expansion into the Asian market.

By 2024, Eirale’s workforce had grown to over 300 employees, and it entered a supply‑chain agreement with Lockheed Martin for the procurement of propulsion components. The company remains an active participant in the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, contributing to projects focused on resilient autonomous systems.