Sky-Futures, a UK provider of drone-based industrial inspection technology, is to receive $4m (£3.1m) from Mitsui & Co Ltd of Japan.
The two firms have entered into a partnership which will see Sky-Futures provide drone inspection capabilities to Mitsui’s companies and customers in the energy, marine and infrastructure sectors.
As part of the partnership, which was launched during a UK government trade mission to Japan, Mitsui is investing $4m in Sky-Futures to support continued expansion and product development.
“This partnership with Mitsui brings industrial drone inspection into the mainstream. Demand for drone survey software is rocketing as a result of the shift to AI and machine learning that is fundamentally changing the way inspection is done,” said James Harrison, CEO of Sky-Futures.
“Our technology enables tracking and monitoring of highly complex infrastructure over its lifetime, automatically detecting defects and saving precious engineering time. We’re excited to be working with Mitsui to expand our global reach,” he added.
Sky-Futures was founded in 2009 and is based in Hayes, west London, with an additional office in Houston, Texas.
As well as providing industrial inspection services to a variety of clients, Sky-Futures provides training to the UK’s emergency services, with Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue currently using drones to support emergency response planning and search and rescue operations.