Blackbird is an Australasian venture capital firm whose mission is to invest in wild hearts, with the wildest ideas, right at the beginning.  We back generational ambition with generational ownership by raising funds and investing in the best startup companies all the way through their journey from idea to beyond IPO. Blackbird was founded in 2012, with a small first fund of $30M from the community of Australian technology founders. That fund invested in the very first rounds of Canva, Zoox, CultureAmp and SafetyCulture and has a TVPI of more than 35x. Today, our portfolio is worth over $7B and includes more than 100 companies across Australia and New Zealand, including rising stars like Propeller, Gilmour Space, Halter, Eucalyptus and Harrison AI.

Blackbird Ventures

We support the most exceptional founders, operators and investors with best-in-class programs, propelled by a highly trusted mentor-driven community, and backed by the best angels, venture funds and tech startups in the region. Startmate helps technically-focused founders create world-class companies that solve customer problems. It invests AUD $120,000 for a 7.5% equity stake. Startmate’s three-month program offers a $75,000 investment, mentorship from more than 40 successful founders, sage legal counsel, and a one week trip to Silicon Valley. At the conclusion of the program, there are two demo days, one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne, where the chosen startups present in front of early-stage investors. Startmate was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Startmate

Cicada Innovations is the home of deep tech in Australia, with a twenty year track record of developing deep tech ventures focused on the world’s most pressing problems and promising opportunities. We support our deep tech ventures and innovators with cutting-edge labs, access to mentors and experts, commercialisation training, and a cohort of ambitious peers. By connecting a growing community of entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers and the public, our mission is to make Australia a leader in deep technology.

Cicada Innovations

Salus Ventures is a venture capital firm.

Salus Ventures

Accel is an early and growth-stage venture capital firm that powers a global community of entrepreneurs. Accel backs entrepreneurs who have what it takes to build a business.  Accel’s vision for entrepreneurship and business enables it to identify and invest in the companies that will be responsible for the growth of next-generation industries. Accel-backed companies include Atlassian, Braintree, Cloudera, DJI, Dropbox, Dropcam, Etsy, Facebook, Flipkart, Lookout Security, MoPub, Qualtrics, Slack, Spotify, Supercell, Vox Media, and others.

Accel

Costanoa Ventures leads Formation, Seed, and Series A stage investments in companies that change the way the world does business.

Costanoa Ventures

HongShan is a VC firm focused on seed-stage, mid-stage, late-stage, and growth investments in the fintech sector. HongShan has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shenzhen. Over the past nine years, Sequoia Capital China has an impressive and diverse portfolio comprising about 300 dynamic companies that deliver high returns on investment using differentiated technologies and innovative business models, including Alibaba, VIPshop.com, Sina.com, Didi, JD.com, Ourpalm, Qihoo 360, Jumei, Momo, SINNET, Dianping.com, Meituan, Meilishuo, Toutiao, AutoNavi, Ganji.com, DJI, VanceInfo, Noah Private Wealth Management, Wanda Cinemas, Alibaba Pictures, Plateno Hotels Group, Deppon Logistics, ZTO Express, Beta Pharma, Snibe Diagnostic, BGI, WEGO, and Yuwell Medical.

HongShan

SecondQuarter is a venture secondaries fund which provides liquidity to shareholders of Australia's most exciting post-SeriesA startups.

SecondQuarter Ventures

Aware Super is a not-for-profit fund providing superannuation, advice, and retirement solutions to those who are teaching, nursing, caring, responding, and helping communities. The fund invests in assets that they believe will make a positive difference and improves communities, building a more sustainable economy and supporting employment both locally and globally at the same time as providing strong long-term returns. It services public sector employees and their families and offers security and benefits through competitive fees, value-for-money insurance rates, and financial advice. The Sydney, New South Wales-headquartered firm was launched in 1992.

Aware Super

Saniel Ventures is a private investment group supporting technology companies.

Saniel Ventures

Propeller Aero

Propeller is a global leader in drone-mapping and analytics solutions that give worksites the power to measure and manage themselves. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with a North American office in Denver, USA, Propeller’s innovative hardware and software products solve real problems for real people. With visual tools everyone can use, Propeller is helping teams on thousands of worksites track, inspect, and report on job progress and productivity safely and accurately. Founded in 2014 by Francis Vierboom and Rory San Miguel, Propeller serves construction, aggregates, mining, and waste management industries globally.

Propeller Aero is a technology company that specializes in drone mapping and surveying software for the construction, mining, and earthworks industries. Their core product is a cloud-based platform that processes drone survey data and generates highly accurate 3D maps and models of worksites. Propeller Aero's software integrates with AeroPoints, their proprietary smart ground control sensors, to achieve survey-grade accuracy. This approach significantly reduces the time required to survey large sites from several days to just hours.

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

Propeller Aero, Quantum-Systems pair in drone surveying, 3D mapping of construction sites

AeroPoints

Taking commercial activities to new heights

Commercial Drone Tech

Propeller Aero and Quantum-Systems Partner to Provide PPK Support for Trinity F90+ Drone in a Win for Large Site Surveying

Propeller Aero is a technology company that specializes in drone mapping and surveying software for the construction, mining, and earthworks industries. Their core product is a cloud-based platform that processes drone survey data and generates highly accurate 3D maps and models of worksites. Propeller Aero's software integrates with AeroPoints, their proprietary smart ground control sensors, to achieve survey-grade accuracy. This approach significantly reduces the time required to survey large sites from several days to just hours.
The company's mapping solution leverages Post-Processed Kinematic (PPK) technology, which combines aerial imagery captured by drones with data from AeroPoints to create highly precise 3D models and maps. These visual representations enable contractors, surveyors, and project managers to analyze various aspects of their worksites, monitor progress, minimize costly rework, and enhance operational efficiency.
Propeller Aero has also developed a mobile app, allowing users to access and utilize maps directly in the field. In June 2022, the company partnered with Quantum-Systems, a German drone manufacturer, to integrate its mapping capabilities with Quantum-Systems' Trinity F90+ drone, designed for large-scale surveying missions.
As of April 2023, Propeller Aero secured USD 15.35 million in funding to further invest in its products and support services for customers. The company was acquired by an undisclosed entity in an acquisition detailed in the provided articles.

SeekOps Inc. is a global leader in greenhouse gas emissions detection, quantification, and reporting solutions. The company deploys advanced sensor technology and state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems equipped with its proprietary SeekIR sensors to detect, localize, and accurately quantify methane emissions. SeekOps' autonomous drones leverage parts-per-billion sensitive sensors and leverage autonomous operations for efficient, repeatable, and consistent greenhouse gas emission surveys, facilitating rapid leak detection and quantification (LDAQ).
SeekOps' technology has received regulatory approval from various authorities, including the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment for use as an Alternative Approved Instrument Measurement Method (Alt. AIMM) in February 2024, making it the first unmanned aerial system to receive such approval. In September 2022, SeekOps' technology was approved as part of an Alternative Fugitive Emission Management Program (Alt-FEMP) submitted by Repsol to the Alberta Energy Regulator.
The company's solutions are field-proven and have been deployed in emissions quantification surveys worldwide, supporting leading operators and meeting the highest standards, such as OGMP 2.0 and MiQ. In August 2023, SeekOps adapted NASA's technology, originally developed for the Mars Curiosity Rover, to measure methane emissions in the North Sea, demonstrating the versatility of its approach.
SeekOps' solutions have been instrumental in helping operators understand their emissions inventory and adopt cost-effective abatement tools, contributing to decarbonization efforts in the oil and gas industry.

SeekOps

Cando Drones is an Israeli company that provides advanced drone operations and management solutions. It specializes in organizing airspace, handling regulations, characterizing, selecting, and integrating drone systems, as well as managing ground logistics, training, and technical support. Cando Drones offers turnkey solutions that enable the exploitation of drone capabilities for various needs.
The company has demonstrated its expertise in delivering autonomous drone flights using different platforms. In April 2024, Cando Drones partnered with High Lander Aviation and Sentrycs to showcase an autonomous security solution at Caesarea Business Park. This system demonstrated rapid response protocols against simulated threats, utilizing High Lander's Orion drone fleet management platform.
Additionally, in April 2024, Cando Drones collaborated with High Lander to execute the first drone flight using Pelephone's new 5G MAX network, marking a significant milestone in drone connectivity and scalability in Israel. Cando Drones also played a pivotal role in the Israel National Drone Initiative, conducting various test flights across the country, including delivery flights, night flights, and traffic monitoring activities.

Cando Drones

MissionGO is a leading provider of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) solutions and services. The company specializes in critical infrastructure inspections and cargo delivery operations. MissionGO utilizes its advanced UAS platform, the MGV100, to perform comprehensive inspections of various infrastructure assets, including power lines, transmission poles, pipelines, and construction cranes. The MGV100 is a single-rotor, all-electric aircraft designed for long-endurance flights, with a range of up to 30 miles and a flight time exceeding one hour.MissionGO's infrastructure inspection services offer a safer, more reliable, and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional manual inspections. The company's UAS inspections minimize hazards, increase data quality and quantity, and provide detailed reports on asset conditions. MissionGO's cargo delivery operations involve transporting critical medical supplies, fresh produce, emergency kits, and other essential items to remote areas using its autonomous unmanned helicopters.In addition to its core services, MissionGO offers UAS training programs for first responders, helping them obtain FAA commercial pilot licenses and develop skills for various operational scenarios. The company has achieved significant milestones, including publishing the MGV100's FAA Airworthiness Criteria in the Federal Register in September 2022, a crucial step toward Type Certification and enabling advanced UAS operations.In October 2022, MissionGO secured a three-year, USD 50 million contract with Southern California Edison, one of the largest UAS services contracts globally, to inspect nearly 160,000 utility poles. This contract builds on MissionGO's successful partnership with Southern California Edison since 2019, during which the company conducted over 6,500 sorties and cataloged more than 1,200 flight hours, capturing data from 24,000 poles without any incidents.

MissionGo

Zing Drone Solutions is a company that specializes in developing innovative drone technology solutions. Their primary offering is the Z-RID, a proprietary Remote ID Broadcast Module that ensures compliance with FAA regulations for public safety and commercial drone operators. Launched in October 2023, the Z-RID received FAA Declaration of Compliance (DOC) Approval, making it compatible with various DJI enterprise and commercial drone models.
Recognizing the financial challenges faced by drone pilots due to the high costs of existing Remote ID modules, Zing Drone Solutions introduced the Z-RID Lite in January 2024. The Z-RID Lite is an affordable, stripped-down version of the original Z-RID, focusing solely on providing Remote ID compliance functionality. This innovative solution aims to make FAA regulation adherence accessible to all drone pilots, fostering a safer and more regulated airspace.
Zing Drone Solutions' commitment to innovation aligns with the needs of the drone community. The Z-RID Lite weighs only 30 grams and features GNSS positioning and Bluetooth four + five broadcasting capabilities, making it a lightweight and user-friendly solution for drone compliance.

Zing Drone Solutions

InDro Robotics is a leading Canadian company specializing in robotics research and development, as well as providing complex drone and ground robotic solutions, services, and training. Their expertise lies in engineering autonomous robots and drones for diverse applications, including complex operations, data collection, surveillance, and delivery services. InDro Robotics aims to make difficult work more efficient through innovative robotics.
The company serves as a manufacturer, integrator, and distributor of unmanned systems. For ground operations, they offer unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) from AgileX Robotics integrated with their proprietary InDro Commander technology. Additionally, they provide quadruped robots from Unitree Robotics equipped with the InDro Backpack integration. In the aerial domain, InDro Robotics distributes drones from various manufacturers and incorporates their InDro Pilot technology, enabling real-time data transfer over 5G for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions and onboard processing for autonomous operations.
InDro Robotics' solutions encompass a wide range of capabilities, including local computing, teleoperation, and autonomous functionality. Their robots can be outfitted with autonomy software developed in-house or tailored to clients' specific requirements. The company has completed over 7,000 mission hours, flown more than 4,000 kilometers, and executed over 400,000 safe and compliant flights across multiple countries.
In September 2023, InDro Robotics announced a strategic partnership with Invest Ottawa, taking over the management of Bayview Yards Prototyping Lab, rebranded as InDro Forge. This state-of-the-art facility offers prototyping services, including 3D metal printing, CNC machining, injection molding, and computational rendering, enabling clients to bring their ideas from concept to completion.

InDro Robotics

Startups that provide drone-based services for a variety of use cases  (excluding payload delivery)

Startups providing cloud-based software solutions for gathering data via drones and leverage AI to provide analytics and insights

Startups providing cloud-based platforms for managing drone-based activities

Startups providing other services relating to drone operations including drone hangars, charging systems, insurance, and pilot marketplaces

Startups that provide and end-to-end solution for drone based-applications. Typically also provides drone pilot training programmes and managed services

Provides solutions for the operation of drones in an urban environment

Propeller Aero

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