Drone fleet operator FlyGuys Corp. said it wants to reinvent itself as more of a “reality data” provider after closing on $13 million in Series A-1 funding today.

The round was led by the Wonder Fund North Dakota under the direction of O’Leary Ventures, which is led by the well-known Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary.

FlyGuys has been around for a couple of years, and originally positioned itself as a drone services operator, providing access to fleets of flying machines operated by professional drone pilots. It specialized in “aerial data acquisition,” giving companies a bird’s eye view of any area they’re interested in, with high-quality images and advanced technologies such as lidar.

The company’s drones are among the most sophisticated money can buy, and they can capture various types of data through standard, high-definition images, video and even thermal images. Their drones are also equipped with lidar, which involves measuring distances with lasers in order to create precise 3D maps and visualizations for use by surveyors and engineers. Besides this, its drones also carry out inspections for difficult-to-reach areas such as cell towers, industrial sites and so on.

FlyGuys offers its services to numerous industries, including construction and engineering; agriculture, where it can measure crops and estimate yields; construction and engineering; the energy sector and also emergency services, where its drones can be of assistance in disaster response and rescue operations. In addition, FlyGuys offers consulting services for companies that want to create their own fleets of drones.

With artificial intelligence fast becoming ubiquitous in all of the above industries, and more, the company wants to pivot somewhat. It now sees itself as the “connective tissue” between AI developers and the physical world. FlyGuys Chief Executive Joe Stough said it will use the funds from today’s round to help AI companies access vital real-world data and intelligence that can strengthen their models and enhance applications such as crop monitoring and infrastructure inspections.

In addition, the money will enable FlyGuys to expand its drone-based aerial data services globally, support additional use cases, boost its marketing efforts and try to attract more data partners. Through its global expansion, it believes it can help to create new economic opportunities for independent drone pilots.

O’Leary said FlyGuys provides one of the most scalable delivery platforms for “reality data,” and sees it becoming an essential bridge between AI platforms and the physical world. “Its ability to provide high-quality, on-demand data across any industry makes it an invaluable partner for AI software innovators,” he added.

Photos: FlyGuys