Propeller Aero to make drone maps more insightful with $15.35M funding

Drone mapping and surveying software specialist Propeller Aero says it has scooped up $15.35 million in fresh funding from new and existing investors. The round was led by VC firms and longtime Propeller supporters, Blackbird and Costanoa, with additional investments coming from Australian industry fund Aware Super, Canva founder Cliff Obrecht, and serial entrepreneur Leigh Jasper.

Founded in 2014, Propeller Aero is an Aussie drone startup with more than 200 employees. The team caters to over 15,000 civil and construction worksites around the world each month.

Known for its accuracy and impressive processing turnaround time, the company has recently launched a mobile app to bring maps to the field and also expanded its presence in Europe. And now, Propeller Aero plans to use this additional funding to further invest in its products and people, ultimately providing better support to customers.

The drone tech company explains in a blog post, “While our core product is drone mapping software, there’s a new (smarter) worksite collaboration workflow that emerges when you combine survey data and maps. The recent funding will help us bring more insights to the map to create a digital meeting ground for project teams — a category of technology we’re dubbing smart surveys.”

Aware Super, which participated in the latest round, points out that, historically, the construction industry hasn’t had the data or tools available to effectively track their projects, often resulting in delays and cost overruns. Propeller, however, makes data capture and survey analysis available to everyone to support the delivery of effective project management and better outcomes.

“From our very first meeting, we were impressed by the team’s execution and the vision they’ve laid out to become the clear leader to digitize the construction industry, says Aware Super. “In an environment where most VC-backed companies have been forced to take significant actions to preserve cash and defer funding rounds, Propeller stands out for its high growth with remarkable capital efficiency. The company’s ability to raise a very strong round of funding in a difficult market is a testament to this.”

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