DroneMatrix

DroneMatrix was founded in 2015 by the Vanwelkenhuyzen family and has its head office in Hasselt, Belgium. The company develops automated drone-in-a-box systems for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and offers them both as products and as a “drone as a service” model. Assembly takes place in Diepenbeek in the Belgian province of Limburg.

The YACOB system combines the YACOB drone with the YADO docking station, which houses and wirelessly charges the aircraft, regulates its internal temperature and checks weather data before take-off. The larger YETI system offers longer flight times and higher payload capacity. Both are managed through the cloud-based Aerial Robotic Work System (ARWS) for mission planning and real-time operations. Missions include surveillance patrols, inspection, mapping and logistics.

Users include the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, where a network of drone-in-a-box units operates, and the Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel, which awarded the company a nine-year framework contract in 2023. Nordic Unmanned became a shareholder in 2022; after its financial collapse, DroneMatrix was relaunched in 2025 with the founding family holding 30% and Norwegian investors 70%. The company also takes part in research under the Belgian DEFRA defence programme.