Reality capture platform invests in Progress AI and advanced robotics to support construction growth
DroneDeploy has announced that it has reached break-even, a milestone that gives the company full control over its growth strategy. Building on this achievement, the company secured $15 million in strategic funding from existing investors to accelerate development of its AI and robotics products.
“Reaching break-even means we’ve proven the sustainability of our company, and are able to invest all future earnings in products and services that enable our customers,” said Mike Winn, CEO and co-founder of DroneDeploy. “Over the past decade, we’ve created the leading reality capture platform used on over 1.7 million sites in more than 180 countries. That foundation allows us to double down on the next frontier: automating analysis and decision making with AI and robotics.”
Progress AI Takes Center Stage
DroneDeploy recently launched Progress AI, a vision-language solution designed to automate progress tracking. By combining drone and 360 walkthrough data, the system generates progress reports with more than 95% accuracy. These reports are available within minutes, at a fraction of the cost of traditional tools.
Contractors and owners are already seeing results. “With Progress AI, we’re getting accurate site visibility in minutes – and using that to make faster, better calls across our portfolio,” said Jon Ferguson, Vice President, VDC at Layton Construction. “But what’s more important is where this is going. DroneDeploy’s automation roadmap – across drones, robotics and AI – is exactly what the industry needs: fewer manual workflows, tighter risk control and data we can trust to drive critical decisions at scale, especially on complex, critical infrastructure projects like data centers.”
The introduction of Progress AI highlights how construction sites, increasingly rich with data, need advanced AI to turn information into actionable insights.
Moving Beyond Drones
Over the past decade, DroneDeploy has evolved far beyond aerial imagery. The acquisition of Rocos expanded its capabilities into robotics, giving the company a dedicated team to build an operating system for deploying robots at scale. These robots supply DroneDeploy’s AI systems with the data needed to detect delays, validate pay applications, and identify safety risks.
“DroneDeploy sits uniquely at the intersection of AI and robotics, with years of specialized data that power systems no one else can build,” said Kevin Spain, General Partner at Emergence Capital. “They’re not just capitalizing on this next wave, they’re driving it.”
DroneDeploy’s new investment will be put into expanding autonomous capture capabilities, including quadruped, aerial, and potential humanoid systems.
Disciplined Growth in a Shifting Market
DroneDeploy’s financial approach has distinguished it from peers who grew rapidly during the overfunded 2021 cycle. Instead, the company prioritized operational strength and a repeatable business model. This deliberate path has led to profitability and independence.
“DroneDeploy is the clear category leader in reality capture – profitable, proven and in control of its future,” said Rory O’Driscoll, Partner at Scale Venture Partners. “What makes this moment unique is the convergence of trends finally working in their favor. Enterprises are ready to adopt AI, robots are walking jobsites, regulators are opening up airspace. That wave has arrived and DroneDeploy is perfectly positioned to ride it.”
About DroneDeploy
DroneDeploy powers field teams with robotics and AI. As a reality capture platform, it unifies robotic automation, AI agents, and data management for industries including construction, energy, and agriculture. The company’s tools combine drones, cameras, ground robots, and proprietary AI to deliver accurate intelligence from the field to the boardroom.
For more information, visit www.dronedeploy.com.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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