Finland's drone infrastructure is set for a massive expansion. Imatra-based technology firm Rumble Tools has launched a 30 million euro investment program to build a comprehensive, low-altitude drone network across Northern Europe and the Baltics. The ambitious project, backed by the investment company of Kyösti and Kari Kakkonen and other private investors, aims to create the foundational digital and physical architecture for autonomous drone operations at scale.
This is not merely about selling drones. Rumble Tools specializes in the critical software and automation systems that make drone fleets functional for industrial applications. The company has already developed surveillance drone systems for forestry giant Stora Enso. Now, its vision is to construct the shared infrastructure—a 'digital skyway'—that could transform logistics, security, and environmental monitoring across the region.
"Our goal is to build a nationwide drone infrastructure," a company representative stated, framing the investment as a foundational step for a new economic sector. The 30 million euro capital injection will fund the deployment of systems enabling safe, regulated, and efficient drone traffic in the 0 to 150-meter altitude band, known as the low-altitude airspace.
From Industrial Tools to National Infrastructure
The scale of Rumble Tools' ambition marks a significant shift. While Finnish tech news often highlights Helsinki startups in gaming or Espoo's 5G innovations, this move positions a smaller-city industrial tech firm at the forefront of a strategic infrastructure play. The investment underscores a growing trend in the Finnish technology sector: moving from developing discrete products to building enabling platforms.
Rumble Tools' core expertise in software development for drones and process automation through robotics is the key differentiator. "The hardware is becoming commoditized," explained a Helsinki-based venture capitalist familiar with the drone space. "The real value, and the real challenge, lies in the software stack that manages fleets, ensures safety, complies with evolving regulations, and integrates with existing business systems. That's where the scalable business is."
This platform approach is familiar in Finland's tech landscape, echoing strategies seen in the Finnish gaming industry where companies like Supercell create ecosystems, not just games. The drone infrastructure project applies similar platform thinking to physical industry and logistics.
The Economic and Security Rationale
Investors are betting on dual returns: financial growth and societal impact. The backers have expressed a "strong commitment and trust in the project's societal security impact and the construction of a financially significant economic sector." This language points to applications beyond commerce.
A robust, secure drone network has immediate utility for national security and border surveillance—a priority for Finland. It also promises efficiency gains in sectors central to the Nordic economy. Imagine drones autonomously inspecting remote wind farms in the Baltic Sea, monitoring vast forestry plantations for Stora Enso, or delivering critical medical supplies to the Åland Islands. The infrastructure would make these applications commercially viable at scale.
"Finland, with its sparse population and challenging geography, is an ideal testbed for drone logistics," said Dr. Elina Saarelainen, a researcher in autonomous systems at Aalto University. "The economic case for last-mile delivery in Lapland or for industrial inspection in remote areas is strong. But it requires a coordinated infrastructure investment. You cannot have every company building its own private air traffic control system."
Navigating the Regulatory Airspace
The largest hurdle is not technology, but regulation. The European Union is actively working on a common regulatory framework for drone operations, the U-Space. This future framework aims to ensure drones can operate safely and securely, especially as traffic density increases. Rumble Tools' infrastructure must be designed to comply with and integrate into this emerging EU-wide system.
Building infrastructure ahead of final regulations is a calculated risk. However, by engaging in the development phase, the company could help shape standards and ensure its systems become the de facto solution in the Nordic-Baltic region. The involvement of investors with a stated interest in societal security suggests close alignment with national authorities is likely part of the strategy.
The Broader Finnish Tech Context
This 30 million euro venture arrives amid a dynamic period for the Finnish technology sector. While Nokia's latest news often focuses on 5G and telecom infrastructure, and Helsinki startups dominate headlines in gaming and health tech, deep-tech industrial automation remains a Finnish strength. Companies like Rumble Tools operate in this space, applying software and robotics to traditional industries like forestry, manufacturing, and now, airspace management.
The investment also highlights a geographic diversification within Finnish tech. While Helsinki and Espoo innovation hubs like Otaniemi and Keilaniemi are critical, significant innovation and investment are flowing to companies based outside the capital region. Imatra, a city in South Karelia, is now the launchpad for a pan-Nordic infrastructure project.
Success for Rumble Tools could create a new template: a Finnish-born company providing the operating system for Northern Europe's low-altitude economy. It would join other Finnish platform successes, from Nokia's network infrastructure to Supercell's game development platform, as a fundamental enabler for other businesses.
A Look at the Competitive Sky
The race to own the drone infrastructure layer is just beginning. Other Nordic and European companies are exploring similar concepts. Denmark, for instance, has advanced drone testing corridors. The scale and specificity of Rumble Tools' 30 million euro focused investment, however, gives it a first-mover advantage in its target region.
The company's existing industrial partnerships, like the one with Stora Enso, provide immediate use-cases and revenue streams while the broader infrastructure is built. This pragmatic approach of serving anchor clients while developing a public-use platform mitigates risk.
What Success Would Look Like
In five years, a successful rollout would mean a licensed, operational U-Space over significant parts of Finland and the Baltics. Forestry companies would routinely use automated drone swarms for inventory and health checks. Ports in Helsinki and Tallinn would have integrated drone systems for security and inventory management. Emergency services could deploy disaster assessment drones without needing separate flight permissions.
The economic impact would extend beyond Rumble Tools' own balance sheet. It would foster a new ecosystem of application developers, service operators, and hardware specialists, creating high-tech jobs. It would position the Nordic-Baltic region as a global leader in the practical, safe integration of drones into society and industry.
The 30 million euro question is whether the market will develop as quickly as the infrastructure. Rumble Tools and its investors are making a bold bet that by building the digital skyway, the traffic—and the revenue—will inevitably follow. In doing so, they are writing a new chapter in Finnish tech, one that moves from mobile phones and game apps to commanding the skies above.