Drone network operator Birdstop raises $2.3M funding

Birdstop, a California-based company that operates a drone network across the US akin to a constellation of satellites on the ground, has scooped up $2.3 million in new funding. The startup says it will use the funds to buy more drones that can inspect critical infrastructure and grow its AI capabilities.

Birdstop uses patented technology to analyze and protect power grids, telecom networks, and other infrastructure assets with drones. Operating from a NASA-style mission control in San Francisco Bay Area, the company is currently helping customers in Alabama, California, and Texas manage both public and private sector assets.

Birdstop was founded by a former Google data scientist and Earth Institute satellite imagery analyst, Keith Miao. Boasting a core team of drone imaging and remote sensing experts, the company’s risk mitigation measures include a proprietary low-altitude airspace deconfliction system that ensures safety even when the operator is thousands of miles away. As such, Birdstop has managed to receive several FAA approvals for complex Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations.

In addition to routine monitoring and inspection, Birdstop’s drones can be mobilized on-demand for extreme circumstances such as natural disasters or security breaches. Similarly, in addition to infrastructure users, industries such as agriculture, construction, and public safety can also leverage Birdstop’s solutions to to improve their real-time intelligence and situational awareness.

“We all use Google Maps, but few of us have seen a physical satellite. At Birdstop, we take the same approach for drones. Our customers receive data and intel but the drones are invisible to them,” Miao explains. “We take away all the complexities of drones, robotics, and FAA regulations, so that users simply dial into their assets in real-time, on-demand.”

Birdstop has now opened up a new R&D facility in Alabama to build airspace intelligence beacons. The company’s fresh funding round was led by Lerer Hippeau and included Anorak Ventures, Correlation Ventures, Data Tech Fund, Graph Ventures, Techstars, Timberline Holdings, as well as strategic investors in energy and telecommunications.

“Developments in drone technology and BVLOS regulation over the past decade are allowing Birdstop’s vision to be realized for the first time,” says Andrea Hippeau, partner at Lerer Hippeau. “Birdstop’s ability to generate real-time intel remotely is a huge step forward for the industry.”

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