Following a multi-agency selection process that saw it beat out 25 other companies, Swift Engineering subsidiary Swift Tactical Systems has been awarded a $17 million contract to launch a comprehensive UAS program for the Bahamas government agencies and ministries.
55 short and medium-range UAS will be purchased for the multi-agency UAS program. Immediate surveillance capabilities will be available, training and support will be provided, and a regional UAS academy will be established as part of the program.
The UAS will be available for use by all law enforcement agencies, immigration and customs, corrections facilities, and the military for a variety of activities.
Business Solutions
Business Solutions
State of South Dakota signs Participating Addendum for UAS services with DroneUp
DroneUp has announced that the State of South Dakota has signed a Participating Addendum for the NASPO ValuePoint contract for UAS services, established as the Contract Number 17379.
According to DroneUp, this starts the offering for the purchase of complete UAS platforms to all state agencies, commissions, political subdivisions, institutions, and local public bodies allowed by law. DroneUp notes that this award is the first of its kind for the UAS industry.
New York Gov. Cuomo proposes investment to establish small UAS experimentation and test facility at Griffiss International Airport
On Sunday, Jan. 5, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled a proposal for a $9 million investment to establish a small UAS experimentation and test facility at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, Oneida County.
Red Cat to acquire FPV and drone racing hardware provider Rotor Riot
Red Cat Holdings Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire first person view (FPV) and drone racing hardware provider Rotor Riot.
Red Cat notes that from 2018 to 2019, Rotor Riot’s revenue grew approximately 44 percent year-over-year. Red Cat adds that its acquisition of Rotor Riot will provide the necessary resources and combined expertise to facilitate more growth for both companies.
“We believe this deal is another significant milestone in our strategy to fuel rapid growth,” says Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat.
MiLA Capital invests in 'tech you can touch' including drone delivery company DASH Systems
Commercial UAS delivery company DASH Systems designs, manufactures and deploys low-cost one-way delivery UAS that operate in today's air logistics network.
A portfolio company at Los Angeles-based Venture Capital (VC) firm MiLA Capital, DASH Systems created a platform that enables goods to be delivered without landing an aircraft following the runway/infrastructure issue in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico two years ago, which made providing aid to the Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory difficult.
Capable of being mounted to any commercial aircraft, helicopter or UAS, DASH Systems’ delivery UAS enable fast and rapid deployment into any environment.
PrecisionHawk to use latest funding to innovate software tool, accelerate sales initiatives
PrecisionHawk announced it has raised $32 million in its latest funding round, which it plans to use for several efforts, including the continued innovation of its software tool, PrecisionAnalytics, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help enterprises better use data collected by UAS to solve business challenges.
The financing will also be used to accelerate sales initiatives and further market expansion.
“This is an exciting time at PrecisionHawk and the commercial drone industry overall as adoption of drones continues to grow,” says Michael Chasen, CEO of PrecisionHawk.
Oklahoma State University drone program awarded $1.49 million grant
As part of its National Robotics Initiative 2.0 program, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) drone program a $1.49 million grant.
Awarded to OSU researchers He Bai, Rushikesh Kamalapurkar, Jamey Jacob and Matt Vance and former faculty member Balaji Jayaraman, the grant, which is the only grant of its kind awarded in Oklahoma, will be used to fund research that uses UAS technology to estimate wind conditions in differing environments.
Aerodyne Group acquires controlling interest of Measure to create Aerodyne Measure
International drone-based managed solutions provider Aerodyne Group has acquired a controlling interest in the services business of aerial intelligence company Measure.
Known as Aerodyne Measure, the new, combined business entity will continue serving enterprise clients in North America, providing high quality aerial inspections and data analysis services.
Through the agreement, Measure will also get additional funding as it grows its stand-alone software as a service (SaaS) offering, Measure Ground Control, which is an end-to-end software platform for enterprise UAS programs.
Apex.AI, a developer of autonomous driving software, announces new investors
Autonomous driving software developer Apex.AI has announced its newest investors, which include Volvo Group Venture Capital, HELLA Ventures, and Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital arm InMotion Ventures.
Volvo Group and Jaguar Land Rover are both well established automotive manufacturers, while HELLA is an international supplier of automotive electronics and lighting.
“We are eager to leverage their deep expertise in the mobility industry to move Apex.AI forward,” says Apex.AI co-founder Jan Becker.
May Mobility to use latest funding for hiring, expanding vehicle fleet
Autonomous Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS) provider May Mobility has announced that it has closed a $50 million Series B round.
Toyota Motor Corporation led the Series B round, and the automotive manufacturer has also selected May Mobility as one of its partners in the autonomous TaaS segment for future open mobility platforms.
To date, May Mobility has raised a total of $84 million. This latest funding round will be used for strategic hires across the engineering and operations functions, as well as to expand the company’s vehicle fleet to meet growing demand.
