Drone company Strat Aero to land on London Stock Exchange

A Gatwick-based firm which teaches people how to fly drones will launch on London’s Aim market on Monday.

Strat Aero plc, which has a training complex in New Mexico, expects to raise more than £650,000 from investors on the junior market, valuing the firm at £6.2m. The company, headquartered at Gatwick Airport, has already raised £500,000 from private investors.

Strat Aero, which was founded in 2013, offers training and consultancy in the use of Unmanned Aerial System, commonly referred to as drones, and has a contract with one of America’s top defence firms.

Already used in the military and by law enforcers, private firms are also looking at the potential of drones, most notably Amazon. This week the world’s largest online retailer announced it was looking for experts to help develop its drone-based delivery service in Cambridge.

“We see the industry as having huge growth potential,” said Graham Peck, chairman and co-founder of Strat Aero.

“Applications for drone training are growing every day,” he said. “We’re looking at bringing a training centre into Europe.”

The money raised from the IPO will be used to boost staff numbers, which currently includes five full-time staff and 14 freelance consultants.

Mr Peck added that unstable environments in many parts of the world will only increase.

“We don’t have world wars. We have smaller areas of conflict. We’re working with machinery that will detect a human heart beat up to 100 metres away. This allows the military forces to know where people are alive on the battle field, and can help us get to them.”