Rhode Island-based "Uber for Drones" startup Droners.io has been acquired by drone technology provider PrecisionHawk, Rhode Island Inno has learned.
The Raleigh-based company also acquired AirVid of Clarksburg, Ontario, in an effort to establish the "world's largest network of commercially licensed drone pilots."
Together, the merged companies will create a network comprised of more than 15,000 licensed drone pilots that customers can access and hire, the largest hub of its kind in the world.
“Droners.io and AirVid share our mission of helping drone operators turn their passion into a profession,” said Michael Chasen, PrecisionHawk CEO, in a press release. “Combined with PrecisionHawk’s expertise in providing professional drone services to the enterprise, this merger enables us to build the best platform for drone pilots while simultaneously providing our enterprise clients with the on-demand services they require.”
The move will also include the insight and leadership of the acquired companies' previous founders. Droners.io founder, Dave Brown, will manage PrecisionHawk's pilot network development team, while AirVid founder Patrick Egan will serve as a consultant.
“We believe that a drone pilot network is one of the fundamental building blocks of a successful drone ecosystem,” Brown said. “We’re excited to continue our mission with PrecisionHawk and support the growth of the drone pilot economy.”
PrecisionHawk completed a $75 million Series D funding last month.
This story is developing. We will add more details as they become available.
Editor's Note: Droners.io is a Rhode Island Inno 50 on Fire finalist. Read the whole story on the awards event here.
