DCVC backs entrepreneurs using Deep Tech to solve problems and multiply the benefits of capitalism for everyone while reducing its cost. Deep Tech is a potent approach to this challenge that enables more for less - now and for this century. The transformative companies in their portfolio combine the latest advances in science and technology with unique computing and algorithmic advantage, reducing CAPEX and OPEX.

DCVC

Signia Venture Partners is an early stage fund dedicated to helping passionate entrepreneurs realize their vision and build impactful, high-growth ventures. We invest between $500k and $3m for an initial investment across a wide range of technology businesses, including within marketplaces, ecommerce, gaming, consumer mobile, virtual reality, enterprise technology, big data, and security.

Signia Venture Partners

The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, rockets, and satellites and provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aircraft manufacturers, is the second-largest aerospace & defense contractor in the world based on 2012 revenue and is the US' largest exporter by dollar value. Boeing stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Boeing Company's corporate headquarters are located in Chicago and the company is led by Chairman and CEO James McNerney. Boeing is organized into five primary divisions: Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), Engineering, Operations & Technology, Boeing Capital, and Boeing Shared Services Group. Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in 150 countries. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training. Boeing has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. The company continues to expand its product line and services to meet emerging customer needs. Its broad range of capabilities includes creating new, more efficient members of its commercial airplane family; integrating military platforms, defense systems, and the warfighter through network-enabled solutions; creating advanced technology solutions; and arranging innovative customer-financing options. With corporate offices in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 170,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. This represents one of the most diverse, talented, and innovative workforces anywhere. More than 140,000 employees hold college degrees -- including nearly 35,000 advanced degrees -- in virtually every business and technical field from approximately 2,700 colleges and universities worldwide. Our enterprise also leverages the talents of hundreds of thousands more skilled people working for Boeing suppliers worldwide. Boeing is organized into two business units: Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Supporting these units are Boeing Capital Corporation, a global provider of financing solutions; the Shared Services Group, which provides a broad range of services to Boeing worldwide; and Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology, which helps develop, acquire, apply, and protect innovative technologies and processes.

The Boeing Company

New Ground Ventures is an investment platform that offers funds and support for breakthrough companies. It combines investment experiences with shared, enduring commitment to the missions of companies in which they invest. The portfolio companies of New Ground Ventures are 915 LABS, aeglea, ALOHA, CARGO, and fingerprint. New Ground Ventures is a U.S.-based company that was founded in 2013 by Zac Zeitlin.

New Ground Ventures

Manifest is a financial firm that offers services in the fields of venture capital, private equity, and financial services. They are invests in technology-enabled services and software companies. Their investments are in growth-stage companies where there is a proven management team and a need for both capital and strategic support.

Manifest

Mubadala Capital’s Ventures business builds on Mubadala’s 10-year track record of being an active investor in advanced technology. The Ventures platform includes a direct investment business, a fund of funds business and the management and oversight of Mubadala’s partnership with SoftBank, including its U.S. $15 billion LP commitment to the SoftBank Vision Fund.  The Ventures team is based in Abu Dhabi, San Francisco, and London with strong connectivity to European and Chinese venture capital markets through other Mubadala Capital managed vehicles.

Mubadala Capital Ventures

Fortem Technologies

Fortem Technologies is an innovative leader in AI-enabled airspace security and safety. The company provides real-time intrusion detection and detect-and-avoid solutions. Fortem delivers a military-tested, commercially available solution that alerts, identifies and classifies drones and other unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs). A Silicon Valley venture funded company that delivers innovative technologies to enable safe autonomous airborne operations, Fortem Technologies’ proven solutions allow organizations to transition their unmanned aircraft operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The company is privately held and backed by multiple investors.

Fortem Technologies is a leading provider of airspace security and defense solutions for detecting and neutralizing dangerous drones. Its flagship product, the SkyDome system, combines advanced radar technology, artificial intelligence, and autonomous drone capture capabilities to monitor and protect venues, infrastructures, cities, and regions from rogue drone threats.

Fortem Technologies Deploys Man Portable Counter-UAS Solution in Ukraine

Fortem Technologies Closes $17.8M in Funding Round to Scale Airspace Safety and Security Capabilities

Fortem develops portable anti-drone tech for Ukraine defense

Fortem Technologies Partners with INTRA Defense Technologies to Offer Advanced C-UAS Solutions in Saudi Arabia

Hanwha looks to secure drone defense technology

Qatar selects Fortem Technologies’ SkyDome counter drone solution to protect FIFA World Cup events

Taking commercial activities to new heights

Commercial Drone Tech

LAGO Innovation Fund Facilitates $10mm Investment in Fortem Technologies to Support Demand for Drone Defense Solutions

Toshiba Corporation

Toshiba has  entered into a strategic business alliance with Fortem Technologies, Inc. (hereafter Fortem), and invested 15 million USD in the company  to accelerate the delivery of solutions to  customers that combine the disruptive innovation of  AI-enabled Fortem SkyDome System with the depth of Toshiba’s commercial drone RF detection expertise and advanced radar technology.

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

Fortem Technologies is a leading provider of airspace security and defense solutions for detecting and neutralizing dangerous drones. Its flagship product, the SkyDome system, combines advanced radar technology, artificial intelligence, and autonomous drone capture capabilities to monitor and protect venues, infrastructures, cities, and regions from rogue drone threats.
The portable SkyDome solution includes the DroneHunter, an AI-driven interceptor drone that autonomously locates and captures hostile drones day and night. It can be rapidly deployed without relying on existing infrastructure or power grids, making it suitable for expeditionary operations. The system's radar operates at high beamwidth and low power, making it challenging to detect through electronic countermeasures.
In May 2022, Fortem Technologies provided the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense with its man-portable SkyDome counter-UAS solutions, including on-site training and support, to combat Russian drone surveillance and attacks during the ongoing conflict. The company has also secured contracts to protect high-profile events like the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar using its SkyDome system.
Key customers and partnerships
In February 2024, Fortem Technologies announced a partnership with INTRA Defense Technologies, a Saudi company specializing in autonomous systems and advanced technologies. This collaboration aims to engineer, manufacture, and market advanced counter-UAS solutions in Saudi Arabia, addressing the escalating drone threats in the region.

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 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

Fortem Technologies

Sources

EDGE Insights

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless