DJI developer technologies are allowing organizations to bring their innovative visions to new heights. This drone ecosystem is not just giving companies a reliable aerial platform; it is creating a movement in the skies.
The DJI drone ecosystem was made to meet and exceed the needs of all organizations, no matter how large or small; whether they are new to or experienced in aerial solutions.
One such organization is DroneBase, a company from Santa Monica, California, offering a diverse portfolio of drone-based services for a wide range of industries. Erik Till, DroneBase Head of Marketing, shares their story with us.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, DroneBase is a leading global drone services company. We provide businesses with fast, affordable, and reliable data to make better-informed, real-time decisions about their most critical assets. We have become the trusted, go-to platform for aerial images and data for worldwide commercial clients across multiple industries, including insurance, real estate, construction, energy, and media. We have partnered with industry-leading companies including FLIR, Airbus Aerial, Geomni, DroneDeploy, Kespry, and Hangar, to name a few.
DroneBase is at the center of the drone ecosystem and has a two-fold mission in the drone industry. First, to provide the best drone services solution for enterprises quickly, reliably, and affordably. Second, to give skilled individuals a career as professional drone pilots.
DroneBase was founded in 2014 by Dan Burton. Dan saw drone systems follow a similar path to the development of the computer: they quickly got smaller, faster, smarter, and more accessible. Like a mainframe computer evolving into a desktop PC into an iPhone, drones went from huge aircraft to smaller vehicles, and eventually small enough to fit in a pocket.
These highly portable aerial systems were crucial in gaining quick and safe intel on an unfamiliar building or terrain that boots on the ground could not access on their own. It became apparent that similar uses could be applied to civilian drone use; for example, surveying a building with the inspector’s feet planted firmly and safely on the ground.
Upon returning to civilian life, Dan saw the life-changing potential of drones for everyday users and commercial businesses. The technology provided an indispensable source of vital information via aerial imagery that was not previously available. As an early adopter and evangelist of the technology, Dan built his own DJI drone system kits and flew for whatever clients he could.
Similar to how Dan watched drone technology evolve, he noticed the drone enthusiast community mature just as quickly. Once hobbyists, they became a small minority who were able to fly drones for part-time work, to a full-time drone pilot. Dan’s idea was to connect these professionals around the world with enterprises whose business could be greatly enhanced with aerial imagery and data. And this was the spark that became DroneBase.
Meanwhile, technology continued to rapidly advance as consumer and prosumer drones from industry-leader DJI paved the way for more and more commercial use cases, with their improved accessibility turning into an increase in adoption. As DroneBase’s network of drone pilots grew and adopted DJI tech more and more, there was an obvious synergy between the two companies that led to an investment through SkyFund, a collaboration between Accel Ventures and DJI.
At DroneBase, we continue to retain the largest network of professional drone pilots in the world, including a majority of the Part 107 Drone Pilots in the United States, who own and operate DJI systems. Their pilots and customers have come to trust and rely on DJI’s products – the industry standard – while continually pushing the limits of what’s possible. DroneBase can turn around a client mission in less than 48 hours anywhere in the United States since its pilots are active and operating the latest in DJI technology. DroneBase integrates directly into customers’ workflows through the DroneBase API to provide instant ordering of hundreds or thousands of orders, airspace checks, and data delivery missions.
From thousands of rooftops needing a fast, safe inspection within days after a storm, to a single property in need of marketing imagery on a picturesque day, and everything in between, DroneBase is who businesses turn to. We have completed over hundreds of thousands of commercial missions in over 70 countries with unbeatable quality and consistency – less than 0.5% of flights need to be redone. The scale, flexibility, and reliability of our company is due in large part to the high-quality DJI drone systems our pilots use.