The money will be used to accelerate the company’s research and development and market expansion for its airspace security/management system.
Founded in 2015 by a team of cybersecurity and drone experts from UC San Diego, the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SkySafe’s latest funding brings its total amount of capital raised to $45 million.
The company’s technology detects, identifies and collects data on rogue drones in monitored airspace. Its core system is built on a “deep understanding” of drone communications protocols and radio frequency signals.
Customers include governments, law enforcement, airports, prisons, border enforcement, corporations and others in more than 30 countries. For military and government customers, SkySafe has the capabilities to precisely jam communications and disrupt threatening drones — without harming friendly drones in the same airspace.
The company said it became profitable in 2020, though it didn’t disclose revenue or net income.
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, there are more than 900,000 drones registered in the United States alone today. The global commercial drone market is projected to reach $58.4 billion in 2026.
“As our airspace gets more crowded with drones, it becomes increasingly difficult to ensure those flying over our airports, stadiums, borders and other public spaces are authorized to be there,” said SkySafe Chief Executive and Co-Founder Grant Jordan. “SkySafe has created an airspace awareness system for drones to offer visibility, accountability, and ultimately, safety.”
SkySafe and others contend this type of technology is important to the expansion of the entire drone industry.
“With drone policy and regulations still in development, commercial drone use will be stymied without technology helping to pave the way for its widespread and safe adoption,” said Lisa Ellman, executive director of the Commercial Drone Alliance. “SkySafe has been a leader in the industry moving drone security policy development forward.”
The company declined to reveal its headcount. But it did say its team includes workers from Toyota, Amazon Web Services, Samsung, the Air Force Research Lab, U.S. Navy and the special operations military community.
The latest funding round was led by Kingfisher Investment Advisors, with participation from new investors Gaingels and MIT alumni investment fund Castor Ventures. Silicon Valley blue-blood investor Andreessen Horowitz, who led SkySafe’s seed and Series A rounds, also joined in this Series B funding.
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