London-based AI firm Hammer Missions, known for its drone-powered inspection platform for the built environment, has raised €1.6 million in fresh funding to supercharge its U.S. expansion.
The investment round was led by ACF Investors and joined by notable angels including Graham Hunter (GeoSLAM founder), Martin Grant (former CEO of Energy at Atkins), and tech investor Stephen Bullock. The funding will fuel product development and support the startup’s move into the North American market.
Founded in 2019 by Varun Sarwal, Hammer Missions has developed AI-driven software that automates drone inspections of buildings and infrastructure. The platform helps architects, engineers, contractors, and property owners assess structures faster and more affordably by generating 3D inspection reports through autonomous drone flights.
The startup has already supported over 20,000 drone missions and 5,000 3D data projects, working with leading U.S. engineering firms like Thornton Tomasetti and SGH. Its technology is used for roof and façade inspections, defect detection, and thermal forensics, streamlining building assessments while meeting evolving safety regulations like the UK’s Building Safety Act.
“Inspections have traditionally been slow and expensive, relying on specialized equipment and manual data collection,” said Sarwal. “We built Hammer to make inspections radically more efficient with easy-to-use AI tools. This funding will help us scale globally and keep evolving the product.”
Sam Fennell, Partner at ACF Investors, highlighted the startup’s potential impact: “Many large structures are difficult and costly to access for routine inspections. Hammer Missions transforms how owners and engineers approach building safety, making the process faster, safer, and more cost-effective.”
With its U.S. expansion underway, Hammer Missions is positioning itself as a key player in the growing field of AI-powered infrastructure inspection.
