Robotics startup FlytBase raises seed funding

Startup News –

Image for representation only
Autonomous drone startup FlytBase Inc said on Monday that it had closed its seed round of venture financing. The round was led by a US-based, early-stage seed fund, and gives the company access to professional experience and world-class B2B networks.

Nitin Gupta, CEO, FlytBase, said, “We have been fortunate to have support from leading incubators and angel investors since our inception. With the most recent round, we now can rapidly build upon our unique competitive position in the global drone ecosystem.”

The company, based in Silicon Valley and India, creates software to power autonomous drone fleets.

FlytBase is focused on developing cutting-edge autonomous systems that solve real-world problems for its customers, Gupta added.

The seed funding comes as the company gains traction for its commercial drone automation software, with a focus on high-value enterprise use-cases such as warehouse inventory management, wind turbine inspection, live remote drone operations, and public safety.

“Our ability to combine intelligent software with off-the-shelf, cost-effective drones positions us well with enterprise customers, as they mature their drone adoption from PoCs and pilots to fully autonomous, multi-site drone operations,” Gupta said.

FlytBase’s R&D lab is in Pune, at the Bhau Institute, a leading engineering startup incubator.

Globally, the commercial drone market is growing rapidly, with indoor applications likely to lead the way, while the security and privacy regulations for outdoor use of drones get developed by aviation authorities across the world.

For example, IAG Cargo, part of the same group that owns British Airways, recently highlighted its use of fully autonomous drones for scanning inventory at its air cargo facility — an innovation in warehouse inventory management powered by FlytBase technology, the company said.

Sharvashish Das, Director of Engineering, Flytbase said, “With an IoT architecture, intelligent plugins and open APIs, our technology platform brings a variety of capabilities to drones – ranging from indoor autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance to precision landing and autonomous charging.”