Company:Airware
 | |
| Industry | UAV Systems |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
Key people | Jonathan Downey (Founder) Yvonne Wassenaar (CEO) |
| Website | Airware.com |
Airware (incorporated as Unmanned Innovation, Inc.) was an American venture-funded startup that provided commercial unmanned aerial vehicles for enterprises.[1] The company ceased operations on September 14, 2018.[2]
Airware was founded in 2011 in Newport Beach, California, by Jonathan Downey.[3][4] The company relocated to San Francisco in January 2014.[5]
The company produced enterprise drones which combine hardware, on-aircraft and mobile software, and cloud services. Downey has stated the company is focused on building systems for drones for commercial uses, including anti-poaching efforts, infrastructure inspections, and precision agriculture.[6]
History
Airware was founded by Downey in 2011 out of a frustration with the "inflexible and costly" autopilot systems for unmanned aircraft.[7]
Airware was incubated at both Lemnos Labs and Y Combinator. In March 2016, the company announced a $30 million Series C round of financing led by Next World Capital with Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Cisco Systems executive chairman John T. Chambers.[8] Andreessen Horowitz partner Martin Casado, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mike Abbott, and John T. Chambers are members of the company's board.[9] In 2015, Airware launched a new venture fund for commercial drones to support "scaling the use of drones across a variety of commercial applications."[10][11] Airware purchased Redbird, a drone analytics software company, in 2016.[12] On September 14, 2018, Airware announced it was ceasing operations effective immediately.[2]
Products and services
Airware offered enterprise drone services combining hardware, on-aircraft and mobile software, and cloud services for industries like mining, insurance, and construction.[13] Airware offered navigation software for drones, table software to guide and monitors drones in flight, and cloud services to store and manage the information gathered by drones.[14] Where most software is designed for specific models of drones, Airware was developing a platform that enables compatibility across aircraft.[15] The company previously collaborated with commercial drone manufacturers to integrate its autopilot hardware and software, then consulted directly with enterprise clients to identify solutions and to ensure regulatory compliance.[9][16][17]
References
- ↑ "Company". Airware Inc.. http://www.airware.com/about-us.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Constine, Josh (2018-09-14). "Drone startup Airware crashes, will shut down after burning $118M". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/14/airware-shuts-down/.
- ↑ "O.C. drone software firm raises $10.7 million" (in en-US). 2013-05-16. https://www.ocregister.com/2013/05/16/oc-drone-software-firm-raises-107-million/.
- ↑ Dorbian, Iris (2013-05-15). "Airware Raises $10.7 Mln Round led by Andreessen Horowitz, Google Ventures" (in en-US). https://www.pehub.com/airware-raises-10-7-mln-google-andreessen-horowitz/.
- ↑ Sablan, Kevin (22 December 2013). "O.C. drone company moving to Bay Area". Orange County Register. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/company-594519-energy-beach.html.
- ↑ "Rhino-Saving Drones Give Surveillance a Kinder Look". Bloomberg Businessweek. 2013-06-28. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/using-drones-assist-search-rescue-231658713.html.
- ↑ Simonite, Tom (2016). "Innovators Under 35: Jonathan Downey". MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2016/visionary/jonathan-downey/.
- ↑ Vanian, Jonathan (2016-03-31). "Cisco's John Chambers Just Invested In A Hot Drone Startup". Fortune. http://fortune.com/2016/03/31/ciscos-john-chambers-airware/.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mac, Ryan (2016-03-31). "Drone Startup Airware Raises $30 Million, Adds Cisco's John Chambers To Board". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2016/03/31/drone-startup-airware-makes-larger-enterprise-push-adds-former-cisco-ceo-to-board/#649ec235aac4.
- ↑ Terdiman, Daniel (2015-05-27). "Drone OS Developer Airware Launches New Fund For Commercial Drones". Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3046758/drone-os-developer-airware-launches-new-fund-for-commercial-drones.
- ↑ Constine, Josh (2015-05-27). "Airware And DJI/Accel Launch Drone Investment Funds". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/27/drone-fund/.
- ↑ Haggin, Patience (2016-09-22). "Commercial Drone Startup Airware Buys Drone Analytics Software Redbrid". The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/commercial-drone-startup-airware-buys-drone-analytics-software-redbird-1474527660.
- ↑ "Forty Under 40: Jonathan Downey, Airware". San Francisco Business Times. 2017-03-09. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/03/09/young-leaders-40-under-jonathan-downey-airware.html.
- ↑ Jansen, Bart (2015-12-15). "Airware CEO is Small Business Innovator of the year". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/12/15/airware-ceo-small-business-innovator-year/77309546/.
- ↑ Jansen, Bart (2015-07-27). "Airware Navigates future of drones". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/07/23/airware-entrepreneur-downey-auvsi-lemnos/26125045/.
- ↑ Haggin, Patience (2016-10-24). "Drone Startups Pivoting to Enterprise Services". The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/drone-startups-pivoting-to-enterprise-services-1477395001.
- ↑ Haggin, Patience (2016-03-31). "Airware Takes Off With $30 Million for Commercial Drone Operating System". The Wall Street Journal. https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2016/03/31/airware-takes-off-with-30-million-for-commercial-drone-operating-system/.
Further reading
- Gallagher, Sean (August 14, 2013). "Raspberry Fly? Airware's Linux and ARM developer platform for drones". https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/08/raspberry-fly-airwares-linux-and-arm-developer-platform-for-drones/.
- Russon, Mary-Ann (September 12, 2014). "Drone Operating System: MIT Startup Airware and Nasa Transforming Hobby into Commercial Industry". http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/drone-operating-system-mit-startup-airware-nasa-transforming-hobby-into-commercial-industry-1465251.
- "Drones CAN'T deliver goods ... oh. Air traffic control system backed by NASA, you say?". September 16, 2014. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/16/drone_city_air_traffic_control_system/.
- "Why Is America Losing the Commercial Drone Wars?". June/July/August 2015. Washington Monthly.
- "Airware Launches Drone Operating System And Picks Up Intel As An Investor". April 16, 2015. https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcneal/2015/04/16/intel-invests-in-startup-airware-as-the-company-releases-an-operating-system-for-drones/#79a7b446316c.
- Intelligence, BI (September 23, 2016). "Airware acquires drone-powered analytics company". http://www.businessinsider.com/airware-acquires-drone-powered-analytics-company-2016-9.
- "Caterpillar invests in Airware bringing drone tech to mining and construction enterprises". February 2, 2017. TechCrunch.
- Benton, Dale (March 17, 2017). "Reach for the sky: Airware and the future of drones in the mining industry". http://www.miningglobal.com/technology/reach-sky-airware-and-future-drones-mining-industry.
External links
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