DroneBase, re-baptized Zeitview, raises $55 million to fund business expansion

Drone-based data collection and renewable energy sector inspection specialist DroneBase says it has raised an additional $55 million in funding to fuel its continued business expansion, which it will now pursue under the new brand entity Zeitview.

Zeitview said the new financing will support its efforts to increase its US and international client base, and extend its services using drone-collected data and AI-enabled software in advanced inspection operations. The new influx from Valor Equity Partners, along with its stable of previous investors, comes after the Santa Monica-based company raised over $32 million in previous rounds amid frenzied activity with renewable energy clients.

That included the launch of the company’s North American Solar Scan (NASS), the first standardized set of solar asset ratings aiming to provide improved oversight of US. solar power plants. The  startup inspected 43 GW of capacity at such facilities last year alone.

Zeitview says its new name, which means “view time,” is intended to reflect the increasingly diversifying tech and methods with which it collects data in addition to drones. It said it now also uses crewed aircraft and smartphone technologies to create effective but flexible solutions through with its software platform, providing effective data analytics clients can consult anywhere.

“We appreciate how important time is to our customers,” said Dan Burton, CEO of Zeitview. “On the one hand, they need immediate and accurate analysis about the health of their assets; on the other, they are building energy and infrastructure resources to last for decades. We are confident that our AI-enabled software solutions can deliver that immediate answer and a long-term home for our customers, while we are increasingly agnostic about what tool we use to capture the most accurate data. We are grateful that Valor recognizes the power of our comprehensive services to support customers to build, protect, and maintain infrastructure across multiple asset classes and around the world.”

Zeitview has used its drone data collection and AI-powered analytic software to help companies make the transition from traditional energy sources to renewables, and track the functionality of new infrastructure over time. Its launch of NASS last year was designed to serve as a one-stop shop for asset owners across multiple markets, relying on a continually expanding network of pilots around the world.