Skypuzzler and the EIC Accelerator: Air Traffic Control for Drones

Skypuzzler, a Copenhagen company led by chief executive Jesper Skou with chief technology officer Morten Skov, develops iDATC, an "integrated Digital Air Traffic Control" that computes conflict-free flight paths for drones before and during flight. Its EIC Accelerator project, "Skypuzzler – Solving the puzzle in the sky", received an EU contribution of €2,483,666 and ran from September 2024 to August 2026, according to CORDIS. The report says existing unmanned traffic management (UTM) systems lack automated tactical deconfliction: when a drone meets an unforeseen obstacle, they postpone the flight or order an emergency landing.

In the first year, the report says, Skypuzzler modelled drone physics, payloads and weather effects, optimised its core algorithm's flight path computation and runtime, and set up continuous integration and test frameworks to compare simulated deconflicted paths with physical ones, according to CORDIS. The report describes no field trial with a UTM provider or drone operator. In August 2025 Skypuzzler closed a seed round with Rethink Ventures and the EIC Fund, without disclosing the amount, according to Skypuzzler.

Where Skypuzzler Stands Now

Skypuzzler's headcount rose from 2 in 2023 to 12 in 2025, and it received a further €475,344 of Horizon Europe funding in 2026, according to North Data; its earnings are not public. In March 2026 it won an ESA SPARK Denmark project to apply its collision avoidance to satellites, and in September 2026 it presented at ESA Industry Space Days and the Carpathian Drone Summit, according to its news page. It has signed an MoU with Thales, and its investor Rethink Ventures cites a partnership with DSV, but no commercial contract or live deployment has been announced.

The Technology: Rerouting Instead of Grounding

The report cites more than 2,600 drone sightings near US airports in 2019 and more than 500 events in German airspace since 2018. Skypuzzler's algorithm is meant to resolve conflicts tactically, recalculating safe paths in real time for the specific drone, payload and weather, so that operators can fly beyond visual line of sight at higher density. Skypuzzler links the product to the EU Drone Strategy 2.0 and the U-space regulation for drone traffic services.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project ended on 31 August 2026. The only public report covers the first year and describes modelling, algorithm optimisation and testing infrastructure. Whether iDATC was integrated into a UTM system or validated in live airspace, the step that would make it a product, is not documented.

1. Drone and weather modelsDeliveredProject report.
2. Faster core algorithmDeliveredProject report.
3. UTM integrationNot reportedNo partner named.
4. Commercial deploymentNot announcedMoUs only.

The Money

Both halves of the blended award arrived: the grant and an EIC Fund stake in the seed round. The EIC grant is the largest disclosed sum in Skypuzzler's funding; the seed amount is undisclosed.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Rethink Ventures expects more than 1 million drones in Europe to need safe operation by 2030, and Skypuzzler positions iDATC as a European answer. Its recent moves into space traffic management widen its pitch before the drone product has a public reference customer.

The Verdict

Skypuzzler and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.