Why Verity?

Verity is the global leader in autonomous indoor drone systems. We are a team of focused problem solvers that delivers cutting-edge solutions that work—every time.

Verity’s self-flying indoor drones have completed hundreds of thousands of flights. Our track record for building systems that are 100% reliable in environments where failure is not an option has earned us the trust of our clients in over 20 countries around the globe.

Our integrated inventory tracking system is powered by autonomous drone technology to enable zero-error warehouses for big box retailers, high-turnover 3PLs, and consumer goods manufacturers in Europe and the US.

Our live events solutions provide lighting designers with new tools for expression to create stunning visual effects that have helped top artists like Drake, Céline Dion, Metallica, and Cirque du Soleil captivate audiences worldwide.

Our history

Our track record in warehousing and logistics systems began with Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics) which helped Amazon disrupt an entire industry.

Since then, we’ve taken robotics technology to the air to create the world’s first fully autonomous, drone-based systems. Soon after rolling up our sleeves together in 2014, we delivered the world’s first (and only) fully integrated solution using self-flying drones that operate indoors with complete autonomy. Today, our systems are being applied in widely diverse environments to transform businesses and open the door to amazing new possibilities.

From enabling the zero-error warehouse through autonomous inventory tracking, to delivering stunning visual effects for top performing artists, to enhancing drone safety with our Failsafe solution, our Swiss-built systems are engineered from the ground up to optimize safety, reliability, and performance.

Open Timeline

2014: Verity Takes Off

Verity is founded. An ETH Zurich and Flying Machine Arena spin-off, Verity develops the first-ever autonomous indoor drone systems.

2014: Sparked Flies

10 drones perform in the short film Sparked, a collaboration with Verity, Cirque du Soleil and ETH Zurich.

2015: Funding Launches

Verity develops its drone safety technology, making quadcopters redundant to propulsion system failures.

Verity raises 3 million CHF in seed funding. Lead investor is Kitty Hawk (a Larry Page company).

2015: Indoor Gets Real

Using Verity’s patented indoor localization technology, Verity achieves the first autonomous drone flight—indoors.

2016: Into the Warehouse

Self-flying drones are used for inventory control in a proof-of-concept with a large global retailer.

2016: Onto the Stage

Self-flying drones perform 400 client-operated shows in Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour on Broadway. This also marks the first commercial deployment of Verity’s Failsafe drone safety technology.

2017: Lucies Go Live

Verity launches its flagship Live Events product, the Lucie® microdrone, and continues to develop its warehouse automation solution.

2017: Swarming Metallica

Lucie microdrones tour with Metallica, marking the first self-flying drone swarm for a major touring act. Lucie micro drones perform for the first time aboard a cruise ship.

2018: Funding Accelerates

Verity raises 18 million CHF in Series A funding from investors, including Fontinalis, Airbus, and Sony, to accelerate development of warehouse automation solutions.

2018: Milestones in Flight

Verity achieves 100,000 autonomous flights and launches microdrone costumes, paving the way for new creative possibilities.

2019: Together Again

Mick Mountz joins Verity’s board. Verity CEO and founder Raffaello D’Andrea and Mick Mountz are inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for their work on Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics).

2019: Autonomy Advances

Verity sets a Guinness World Record in partnership with British Telecom for the largest number of drones flying simultaneously indoors.

Verity prepares for its first commercial pilot for its warehouse automation solution.

2020: Counts Climb

Verity achieves 250,000 autonomous indoor flights.

2020: The Rollout Rolls

Verity begins to roll out its drone warehouse automation solution with global leaders to improve warehouse operations in retail and logistics.

Our people make magic happen

Together, we’re creating the future of self-flying indoor drones.

The people who drive Verity’s vision, development, and reach are far from ordinary—and even extraordinary.

Verity’s growing team of experienced entrepreneurs, engineers, computer scientists, designers, and business professionals include some of the most brilliant minds in the world of robotics, machine learning, and drone technology. Today, we have nearly 100 patents to our name, and we continue to reach beyond existing limitations to rethink, reimagine, and rework the role of robotics in the world today.

Meet us

Management Team

Head of Legal

Astrid Lienhart

Head of Product

Federico Augugliaro

Head of Operations, Deployment & Support

Jennifer Lee Chien Shanks

Head of Sales

Marc Duruy

Co-founder and CTO

Markus Hehn

Co-founder, COO & Board Director

Markus Waibel

Co-founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board

Raffaello D’Andrea

CFO

Richard Stockmans

Head of Development

Sabine Do-Thuong

Head of Solutions

Scott Gibbard

Head of Legal

Astrid Lienhart

Educated at Zurich University and St. Gallen University HSG, Astrid is a highly experienced lawyer and founder of the law firm rechtskraft.ch in Zurich. In addition to her work as a lawyer, she edited a legal journal for several years and has been an author and speaker for numerous publications and events.

 

Head of Product

Federico Augugliaro

At Verity, Federico has overseen the successful production of drone shows across three continents. He graduated top of his class from ETH Zurich and completed a PhD in Robotics in 2015. During this time, he created flying robots that perform feats such as aerial ballets, interactions with humans, and the construction of structures—including a functional rope bridge. In 2017, he hosted a TEDx talk that shared insights on how to coordinate drones, design drone shows, and how Verity began building a drone-based system infrastructure.

Head of Operations, Deployment & Support

Jennifer Lee Chien Shanks

Jennifer has more than 25 years of experience in operations and end-to-end supply chain, across the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. She has managed multiple international and multi-functional teams for startup organizations, most recently as Managing Director of Symmetry Surgical, Inc. where she was responsible for building the company’s European headquarters.

Head of Sales

Marc Duruy

Marc has 15 years of experience in sales management.  A robotics enthusiast, he has spent the past 10 years dealing with FMCG, 3PL and E-commerce and automotive customers. Working with two robotic start-ups, Aldebaran Robotics (acquired in 2012 by Softbank Robotics) and Balyo, he helped take the businesses from early stages to delivering consistent annual revenues. Marc studied at EDHEC Business School where he received a Master’s degree in Sales & Marketing Management.

Co-founder and CTO

Markus Hehn

Markus has more than ten years of experience in the development of autonomous drone systems. He was awarded the Jakob Ackeret award of the Swiss Association of Aeronautical Sciences for his research in algorithms for high-performance control of aerial vehicles. Before focusing on drones, Markus worked on automotive drive trains, ranging from axle-split hybrids to Formula 1 engines.

Co-founder, COO & Board Director

Markus Waibel

Markus co-founded Verity in 2014 with Raffaello D’Andrea and Markus Hehn. He is also a co-founder of the non-profit ROBOTS Association and its flagship publication Robohub.org, an online platform that brings together leading communicators in robotics research, education, start-ups, and business from around the world. In 2018 he became the first president of Switzerland’s Drone Industry Association. He has won numerous startup awards, including selection as a finalist in the 2008 PICNIC Green Challenge with a multi-travel startup aimed at reducing CO2e emissions.

Co-founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board

Raffaello D’Andrea

Raffaello co-founded Verity in 2014 with Markus Hehn and Markus Waibel. He is also a co-founder of the disruptive warehouse automation company Kiva Systems, which was acquired by Amazon in 2012 and later re-branded as Amazon Robotics. In 2020, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and elected to the US National Academy of Engineering. His popular TED Talks and research videos have garnered tens of millions of views, providing an inspiring view into the world of engineering, robotics, computer science, and drone technologies and systems.

CFO

Richard Stockmans

Richard is an experienced corporate finance executive with an International MBA from York University. He has demonstrated success leading multinational finance organizations, supporting as much as $700M in annual revenue production. Richard has more than 25 years of experience in the finance function across the pharmaceutical, robotics, and aerospace industries.

Head of Development

Sabine Do-Thuong

Sabine is responsible for the research and development activities at Verity. She has 20 years of experience in IT and business leadership roles, building and scaling onsite and remote teams around the globe. In a previous role, she successfully contributed to 30x growth of the company. She has been appointed to counsel on various advisory boards. Sabine holds a Master’s degree from ETH and an EMBA from HSG University of St. Gallen.

Head of Solutions

Scott Gibbard

Scott has more than 25 years’ experience in management consulting and product development across multiple science and technology-driven industries: medical devices, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, telecommunications, computer and manufacturing. He obtained an MBA from Cornell University and an MSc from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS).

External Board Members

Board Director

Chris Cheever

Board Director

Mick Mountz

Board Director

Chris Cheever

Chris Cheever is a founder and partner at Fontinalis Partners, the world’s first mobility venture capital firm. He has worked with the boards of companies in weather tech, microlocation, advanced materials, cargo software, industrial drones, industrial robotics, metal additive manufacturing, location based social networks, telematics, autonomous vehicles, and mobile payments.

Board Director

Mick Mountz

Mick co-founded Kiva in January 2003 after spending time in high-tech product development, manufacturing and marketing at Motorola, Apple, and Webvan. In 2009, under Mick’s leadership, Kiva was ranked #6 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America, and in 2012 Fast Company recognized Kiva as the 23rd Most Innovative Company in the World. That same year, Amazon.com acquired Kiva and later renamed the unit Amazon Robotics. Mick holds over 40 U.S. technology patents and is a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He earned a BS in mechanical engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard and is now an active Boston-area technology advisor and seed investor working with innovative hardware-based startups.

Join the team!