Drone startup Airware crashes, will shut down after burning $118M
Drone operating system startup Airware today suddenly informed employees it will cease operations immediately despite having raised $118 million from top investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Google’s GV, and Kleiner Perkins. The startup ran out of money after trying to manufacture its own hardware that couldn’t compete with drone giants like China’s DJI. The company at […] Continue reading Drone startup Airware crashes, will shut down after burning $118M
An early player in drone-tech, 3D Robotics Inc., announced that it has raised $53 million in a Series D round of funding on Thursday, including new equity funding and conversion of debt equity. Atlantic Bridge led the round joined by Autodesk Forge Fund, True Ventures, Foundry Group, Mayfield and other undisclosed investors, according to the company statement. The company didn’t break… 
Flying drones to inspect a farm, construction site, or any other venue from overhead can generate a huge amount of data. It takes time, though, for drone users to upload and turn this high-resolution data into maps, graphs or business intelligence they can act upon. Today, a data management platform for drones called DroneDeploy, is launching a tool called Fieldscanner that makes it possible… 
A Markham, Ontario startup called SkyX Ltd. emerged from stealth today to share details about its unique industrial drone designs with TechCrunch. The company’s SkyOne drones take off and land like a helicopter, but fly more like an airplane, with a range of over 25 miles (40 km) per charge. For drone industry nerds, this means they have both VTOL and fixed-wing elements. A range… 
Heavy equipment makers Deere & Co., better known as John Deere, have forged a strategic alliance with drone-tech startup Kespry, the companies announced at CONEXPO, an international trade show for the construction industry in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The deal could prove a boon for sales of Kespry’s drones and data analytics software. It could help John Deere tap into a new, high-tech… 
A major power producer The AES Corp. is ramping up the use of drones with an eye towards shielding workers from industry hazards. Rather than buy all their own unmanned aerial systems they’ve engaged D.C.-based drone services provider Measure to get access to a more extensive fleet. Measure recently raised $15 million in venture funding.
The venture arm of Caterpillar Inc., a major manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, has invested in San Francisco drone tech startup Airware. Rather than make its own unmanned aerial vehicles, Airware has focused its efforts around providing software and services that help large enterprises use drones throughout their operations. Airware’s cloud-based software helps… 
The commercial drone industry in the U.S. hasn’t heard much from the President Elect about his plans for rulemaking that will impact their business and global competitiveness. Last month, Associated Press broke the story that Trump is interested in privatizing air traffic control, wresting that responsibility from the Federal Aviation Administration, and handing it to a nonprofit… 
DroneDeploy released a new study of the commercial and industrial drones market this week, revealing bad news for the makers of fixed wing drones– quadcopters are far outpacing this type of unmanned aerial vehicle in every industry. Fixed wing drones, like the SenseFly eBee Ag, 3DR Aero-M and PrecisionHawk Lancaster, promise performance benefits including endurance and ruggedness. A…