A startup using drones in aerial advertisements campaigns raised $1 million in pre-seed funding from investors.
Miami-based Sustainable Skylines is solving a few problems facing banner-towing aerial advertisers, said CEO Jacob Stonecipher.
First, it provides a safer alternative to the older and sometimes unsafe airplanes often used for those campaigns. The drones also pull industry-standard banners more slowly and closer to audiences on the ground, making it easier for consumers to see its content. Finally, Sustainable Skylines uses a proprietary analytics platform that will make it possible for clients to measure the performance of ad campaigns.
"As drones and drone technology continue to be integrated into the nation’s airspace, we’re excited to bring our services to brands looking to get in front of their key demographics with an innovative medium," Stonecipher said.
The company's pre-seed investors include Jeffrey Zajkowski, former Head of Americas of Equity Capital Markets at J.P. Morgan; Drew Katz, CEO of Interstate Outdoor Advertising; and Paul Mule, senior Vice President of finance at Arcadia, a climate tech firm headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Powered by hybrid-electric engine technologies, Sustainable Skylines argues drones can reduce the carbon footprint associated with traditional advertising. The drones deployed by the venture use less than three gallons of unleaded fuel for a four-hour flight, versus 30 gallons needed to power a single-engine airplane.
“Our cutting-edge technology cleans up the category’s carbon footprint while allowing brands to garner measurable insights in an out-of-home category that has been underutilized in the past," Stonecipher said.
The startup is a remote-first venture with six employees, a representative told the Business Journal. CEO Stonecipher lives in Miami, making it the company's official headquarters.
Sustainable Skylines isn't the only local company turning to drone technology to disrupt an industry. This year former event and film producers Adrian Allen and Arturo Lorde founded Miami-based LunaLite to bring drone light shows to music festivals, corporate events and more. The light shows are produced by groups of drones that are lit and choreographed via computer software to produce a variety of aerial formations.
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