Israeli automated drone startup Airobotics just launched its North American headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they will run all North America, South America and Central America operations. Airobotics has created the only data-driven, fully automated solution enabling a new dimension of data collection and insights. The company is headquartered in Israel and has offices in Australia, as well as additional operations in Chile and New Caledonia. The Scottsdale office is intended to become the company’s global headquarters as Airobotics continues to scale. BHP, the world’s largest mining company, is Airobotics’ first customer in the U.S., according to a press release.
“When deciding where to launch our first U.S. office, Arizona was the top choice for us as it has a strong mining industry, great weather conditions for drone testing, and potential partners we’re excited to work with. The state and local governments are very supportive of autonomous and aviation technologies and the UAV industry specifically, aligning with our plans to operate UAVs Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) in the U.S.,” said Ran Krauss, CEO and Co-Founder of Airobotics. “The drive for digitalization is vital as companies look for ways to improve productivity and business, which can lead to higher profits that flow back to the state, as well as create new types of jobs related to aerial data, data analysis, development and remote operations. As we continue to grow our services in the mining industry, we’re excited to have talented professionals in Arizona join our team and help us bring mines and other industrial sites into the digital data era.”
The opening ceremony for the Scottsdale office last week featured speakers including Krauss; Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority; Mayor of Scottsdale W.J. “Jim” Lane; and Belle Brown, Principal Technology Business Partner at BHP.
Attendees were invited to tour the facility and observe a demonstration of Airobotics’ automated drone system. Airobotics plans to grow the Scottsdale team to 80 employees by the end of 2019, focusing on recruiting local technology, operations and sales talent.
“We expect Airobotics to be a major player as the AZSkyTech Program continues to make great strides in deployment and usage of UAS,” said Watson, of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “We welcome Airobotics to Arizona and look forward to working with the company on the further development of this cutting-edge technology.”
“We are glad to welcome Airobotics to their new North American headquarters in Scottsdale,” said Mayor Lane. “As an innovative company focused on expanding the boundaries of new technologies and putting them to work, they could not have picked a better base of operations. Here, Airobotics will join similarly passionate and creative companies and benefit from Scottsdale’s positive business climate and world-class quality of life. We appreciate their choice of Scottsdale.”
“When an innovative international company like Airobotics chooses not only to expand here, but also establish its North American headquarters here, that says something about the endless opportunities available here in Arizona,” said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. “We look forward to the company’s growth and welcome its contributions as we continue to develop Unmanned Aerial Systems technology in our state.”
Related reading: Airobotics Receives Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Honor
Airobotics’ automated solution represents the next generation of drone operations, overtaking standard piloted services which can be expensive, inaccurate and not always available. They were the first company worldwide to be granted authorization to fly fully automated pilotless drones, certified by Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. The startup has been experiencing a strong growth stage, raising $71M in funding to date and growing from 80 to 200 employees in its first year.
