Helena Samsioe is the Founder and CEO of GLOBHE, a pioneering global marketplace featuring over 11,000 local drone pilots across 147 countries. GLOBHE provides organizations with precise and actionable drone data from virtually anywhere in the world.
Since its inception in 2020, GLOBHE has quickly garnered acclaim, being highlighted by Sifted as one of the startups to watch. The company now serves esteemed global organizations, including the United Nations and the World Bank.
In this interview, we delve into GLOBHE's operations in the U.S., explore how - as a data-centric company - they manage data security and privacy for their clients, and discuss Helena's vision for the future role of drones.
Hi Helena. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you please give us an overview of GLOBHE’s work in the U.S.?
GLOBHE is connected to over 11,000 pilots around the world, of which over 700 are based in the U.S. flying missions on demand. We work on a range of projects - from sending drones to aid in flood response in California and supporting telecom tower inspections in Florida, to agriculture mapping in Washington State and solar farm inspections in Maine. These are just a few key projects that were delivered through our global marketplace in recent months.
What key benefits or impact have your clients seen through the use of drones in such applications?
Mapping and inspections have significantly reduced damages to societies and infrastructure in flood-prone areas by identifying high-risk zones early. They have enhanced telecommunication services by optimizing the performance of telecom towers. Additionally, they have accelerated the transition to renewable energy by pinpointing the best locations for solar parks and ensuring the optimal condition of wind turbine rotor blades to minimize downtime. In agriculture, these efforts have boosted crop yields by continuously monitoring plant health over time.
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GLOBHE helps farmers transform their agriculture practices and accelerate project deliveries by 80% through efficient:
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Misconceptions persist regarding operators' ability to protect the security and privacy of their drone data and operations. Given that your business is data-centric, how do you address and manage these concerns for clients?
All drone operators flying missions for GLOBHE are professional, certified, and registered. They must comply with GLOBHE's terms, conditions, and privacy policy for all their drone operations. Clients with operations who handle more sensitive data, such as critical infrastructure, can use our option to have the data sent directly to the client's database via an API, ensuring the client retains full control of the data.
Some U.S. politicians in Congress have proposed bills that could potentially ban DJI products from the market in the future. How would such an action affect your business?
DJI products are the most common drones in the GLOBHE marketplace as the GLOBHE marketplace is a reflection of what's out there in the market. DJI is by far the most common drone due to the combination of high quality, ease to perform and low price in comparison to competitors. A ban on DJI will therefore impact GLOBHE as well as the majority of companies and societies who are using or benefitting from the use of drones.
In the end, it could have quite a negative impact on societies, causing a slower transition to renewable energy, interruptions in telecommunication services and other critical infrastructure, limited disaster prevention and response, and less crop yield.
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GLOBHE helps local governments and first responders monitor climate change, bolster flood mitigation and guide relief efforts through:
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How do you see the role of drones evolving in the near future?
The role of drones has expanded significantly over the past year and is poised for further growth as more corporations embrace reality capture, digital twins, and remote inspections from their desktops. These technologies enable informed decision-making and asset protection across various domains, from infrastructure to climate resilience.
Additionally, we are witnessing a growing trend in the use of drones for transparency and verification purposes. For example, many of our new clients are green investment funds utilizing drones to verify investments, monitor progress, and evaluate outcomes. This ensures greater accountability and enhances the credibility of sustainable initiatives.
To learn more about GLOBHE, visit www.globhe.com
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Over the past few weeks, we invited the drone community to share their stories as part of our #DecadeWithDJI campaign. The ingenious, creative, and meaningful use cases we received have inspired us to launch a content series of the same name. This series celebrates the drone pioneers, communities, and organizations that have built careers, businesses, and demonstrated positive impact through our drones. Follow the series here. |
