Why UpWest Invested in Autonomous Drone Pioneer Airobotics

Autonomous drones are making headlines today. When we met with entrepreneur Ran Krauss in early 2015, however, little was known about how drones would change the industry. We quickly identified Ran as a pioneer and believed that his startup could revolutionize how drones would be used in the not too distant future.

Fast forward to the present and $28.5 million raised later, Airobotics has developed a completely automatic and operated aerial system. Companies now use this technology to run missions that monitor, inspect, survey and secure large industrial facilities and other strategic sites.

We were fortunate to be Airobotics’ first institutional investor and have worked with them from the beginning to think through the market landscape, build their positioning and support them through the fundraising process.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the UpWest team has the advantage of keeping its fingers on the pulse of the latest trends and cutting edge technologies in the US market. Simultaneously, we are laser focused on identifying highly talented Israeli entrepreneurs who have developed game changing technologies. Our mission and passion is to connect Israeli entrepreneurs to leading stakeholders, companies, and investors and ultimately, help them build great companies. It has been both an adventure and pleasure to work with such a unique and talented company like Airobotics who are educating the market in the future use of industrial drones and navigating both the technology and regulations surrounding this domain.

When our Partner, Gil Ben-Artzy, first met with Ran Krauss, founder and CEO of Airobotics, he immediately recognized how uniquely positioned the company was in this space for the following reasons:

• Expertise — Israel is known as a hotbed for security technology. However, Israel has also developed deep knowledge about aviation and UAV technologies. The Airobotics team taps into this know-how, and has developed unique technologies that are critical for making autonomous drones a reality.
• Experience — The diverse team built early on at Airobotics has dozens of years of combined experience in aviation, drones, industry. Ran was the first licensed commercial UAV operator in Israel, and his previous startup was one of the first companies in the world to operate in populated areas.
• Business acumen — As a 5-time entrepreneur, Ran Krauss impressed the UpWest team with not only his quickness in learning the landscape of the market but also in his ability to execute effectively in a highly intricate software, hardware and regulatory environment.

Airobotics’ recent funding accelerates their ability to execute quickly and deliver the first automated drone at scale. The UpWest team looks forward to continuing a lasting partnership and to grow together. We are proud to back Ran and Airobotics alongside great investors and friends such as Noam Bardin (CEO, Waze), John Malloy (BlueRun Ventures) and Izhar Armony (CRV). Congratulations to Ran and the team at Airobotics!

Originally published at upwestlabs.com on June 21, 2016.