News
Eagle Eye Innovations secures investment from LDC to accelerate expansion plans
10 Feb 2026
Eagle Eye Innovations (EEI), a leading provider of drone training, operating and consulting services, has secured investment from LDC, the private equity investor, to support its expansion plans.
Headquartered in Lincoln and founded in 2013, EEI provides a variety of services to organisations requiring skilled, regulatory-compliant drone operators across multiple sectors including the built environment, utilities, infrastructure, agriculture, logistics, media, security and defence. It also offers a comprehensive service to assist clients with UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) applications, ensuring compliant drone operations in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. EEI’s team of academy instructors and operators have more than 120 years’ combined experience of delivering Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved training courses and specialist drone operations.
With applications ranging from infrastructure inspection and utilities surveying to precision agriculture and aerial mapping, commercial drone technology is transforming how organisations operate. EEI has scaled rapidly, meeting market demand for regulatory compliant drone operators, securing multi-year contracts with major clients and now employs more than 60 people.
LDC is backing EEI’s management team, led by founder and CEO Siôn Roberts, COO Dom Smith and CCO Alex Kasperczyk, as they expand the business in the UK and internationally, and continue to deliver industry leading drone services across all genres and classifications of drone technology.
EEI has established itself as a market leader in drone operations and training. In November 2025, it became the first accredited provider for the new CAA Remote Pilot Certificate Level 1, and is positioned to work with the CAA to deliver training across all RPC levels as the regulatory framework matures. This accreditation allows EEI to independently assess and certify drone pilots’ competence to CAA-approved standards, helping to professionalise training and close long-standing gaps in safety and consistency across the UK drone industry.
The business was also named Best Drone Training Consultancy in the Midlands at the Aviation and Aerospace Awards in 2024, and, last year, Siôn was named in LDC’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders programme, recognising his vision for scaling EEI and his focus on bringing new talent into the industry.
The investment was led by LDC’s East Midlands and East of England team, including Investment Director Kevin O’Loughlin, Partner and Head of East Midlands and East of England, David Bains, and Origination Executive Hannah Hutchinson.
Rob Clarke, previously CEO of CTC Aviation, will join as Non-Executive Chairman, bringing extensive experience in commercial pilot operations and aviation operations consultancy, and Sir Chris Harper will remain on the board as Non-Executive Director. Kevin O’Loughlin and David Bains will also join the board as Non-Executive Directors.
Siôn Roberts, Founder and CEO of Eagle Eye Innovations, said: “Over the past decade, we’ve built a business that combines deep technical expertise with an unwavering commitment to safety and regulatory compliance. Our team brings industry-leading discipline and safety standards to everything we do, training thousands of people and establishing ourselves as the go-to partner for organisations that need skilled, regulatory-compliant drone operators.”
This partnership with LDC gives us the backing and support we need to take EEI to the next level. The LDC team understands our sector and shares our ambition to build a business that leads the market in both technical expertise and operational excellence.”
Kevin O’Loughlin, Investment Director at LDC, added: “Eagle Eye Innovations operates in one of the most exciting growth markets we’re seeing right now. Siôn and his team have built an exceptional business that combines technical expertise, regulatory knowledge and a culture of continuous innovation.”
“It’s great to be backing a Lincoln-based business that’s become a real leader in its field. We’re looking forward to working with Siôn, Alex, Dom and the wider team to support EEI through its next phase of growth as it expands internationally and deepens its service offering.”
In the last decade alone, LDC has invested £671m into 30 business services companies, with a combined enterprise value of £2.3bn. Our experience of supporting management teams in the sector to grow their business extends right across the UK and includes our investment in IDSL Group, the leading testing, inspection, certification and compliance business in the fire door sector, and PDG Aviation Services, the UK and Ireland’s leading provider of aerial survey, inspection and lifting solutions.
LDC was advised by Clearwater International (corporate finance), Freeths (legal), BDO (financial and tax), Armstrong (commercial), KPMG (tax), Mactavish (insurance) and FSP (cyber).
Eagle Eye Innovations was advised by Bishopsgate Corporate Finance (corporate finance), Austin Moore Partners (legal), Duncan & Toplis (tax) and Claritas (tax).