Washington, D.C.-based drone technology startup Measure has closed a $15 million funding round. The investment came from Cognizant Technology Solutions and investors from Measure's funding round in 2015.
Measure bills itself as a "Drone as a Service" company, which broadly means it has a network of licensed drone pilots who can acquire data that it then analyzes into useful reports for its clients. The pilots flew more than 1,000 missions for Measure in 2016 for industries like agriculture, telecommunications and construction.
"Currently, drones in construction are a big deal. We can use them to build out 3D models," Measure policy and communications analyst Vania Wang told DC Inno in an interview. "We helped Verizon find and fix a downed cell tower after a hurricane and the media was quick to adopt them for videography and livestreaming."
Businesses have been clamoring to use drones in the U.S. for years, but it's only with the regulations unveiled by the FAA last year that it's become possible for companies to start bringing on licensed drone pilots. There are still a lot of restrictions in terms of how and where the drones may be deployed, but even that gives Measure plenty of work. And it offers other services in countries with different drone laws.
"We use the drones for data gathering and logistics in the U.S. because that's what regulations allow," Wang said. "But there are other capabilities like delivery services."
The new funding will go toward generally expanding Measure's business, including expanding its fleet of drones and adding new features to its platform. There's not one brand or kind of drone in the fleet, although the company won't say how many drones it actually owns.
"We want to build out our franchise model," Wang said. "Making it work in the U.S. is the endgame."
The District is a no-fly zone for drones, but that doesn't impact Measure's operations here. Working in D.C. is also a plus when it comes to lobbying and issues about policy. Measure is a board member of the Commercial Drone Alliance, which advocates on behalf of enterprise drone companies.
