With the commercial drone market rapidly expanding – with estimates ranging from x to y, but always in the billions – drone companies are reaping the benefit of investment. San Francisco startup Converge, founded by MIT alumni, offers a promising product at a promising time for the industry.
The founders, says a company announcement, built the first app for flying a drone with a smartphone. “The software has already been piloted by a selection of drone service providers and one of the largest construction companies in Florida,” says the company. In addition, the funding allowed Converge to deploy their solution for 50 insurance adjusters at a global insurance agency.
According to the funding website, the Converge software takes the benefits of AI-powered obstacle-avoiding, flight stabilizing technology and puts it into a smartphone app – essentially allowing in-house operators like insurance adjusters to be able to fly well enough to get consistent data without as much flight experience and practice with a joystick. The integrated suite also includes airspace intelligence and customer reporting.
Converge will have tough competition in the drone software space, but the smartphone app could well prove to be a differentiator. Having some major customers at this early stage is a good sign, and the team plans to keep working on their solution. “The investment is also helping to develop and refine the software and grow the Converge team,” says the announcement.
“Our mission is to bring the possibilities of drones to traditional industries such as insurance and construction,” said David Pitman, Co-Founder and CEO of Converge. “We are using artificial intelligence to turn drones into an essential team member, working alongside humans, transforming the efficiency of operations. Drones have the ability to take on dull, dirty, and dangerous work; removing risk and enabling companies to save valuable time and money.”
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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