US-based unmanned aerial vehicle developer Skydio has recently completed a $42m series B round and numbers graphics processing technology producer Nvidia among its investors, it revealed on Tuesday.
The series B round, revealed alongside the launch of Skydio’s lead product, increased its total funding to $70m. It did not disclose which backers invested when, but its shareholders also include Institutional Venture Partners, Playground Global, Accel and Andreessen Horowitz.
Founded in 2014, Skydio, is developing intelligent, autonomous aerial drones intended to function as what it calls ‘sleek, intelligent flying assistants’.
The drones’ systems are based on its proprietary Skydio Autonomy Engine technology, which makes use of Nvidia’s Jetson artificial intelligence supercomputer.
The company’s lead product is R1, an autonomous flying camera built to record cinematic footage while flying, avoiding objects even at high speeds. It connects to an app and is capable of recording 4k quality footage through 13 cameras.
Adam Bry, co-founder and chief executive of Skydio, said: “We have spent the last four years solving the hard problems in robotics and AI necessary to make fully autonomous flight possible.
“We are incredibly excited about the creative possibilities with R1, and we also believe that this technology will enable many of the most valuable drone applications for consumers and businesses over the coming years.”