Drones are becoming a hot commodity in the enterprise thanks to advancements in technology and reduced costs, and dozens of new companies are rushing to fill the demand for smarter drones that are tailored to meet business needs. Silicon Valley-based startup Kespry Inc. is one such company, and today it announced that it has raised $33 million in a latel-stage funding to make better drones for businesses.

Industrial venture capital firm G2VP led Kespry’s Series C funding round, which also included participation from new investors Shell Technology Ventures, Cisco Investments and ABB Ventures. The new round brings Kespry’s total funding to date to more than $61 million. As part of the funding deal, G2VP Partner David Mount will join Kespry’s board of directors.

Founded in 2013, Kespry specializes in drones used for aerial surveys in a number of different industries, including mining and construction. A big selling point for the startup’s drones is that businesses don’t need to train employees to fly them. Kespry’s platform allows users to plot routes and survey areas through an app, and the drones autonomously follow the route using LiDAR and artificial intelligence. The platform also wirelessly transfers all data gathered by the drones to Kespry’s cloud service, making it instantly accessible for teams in the field.

Kespry Chief Executive George Mathew said in a blog post today that 2018 will be an important year for the company, thanks in part to its new funding.

“We want to accelerate market opportunities faster, deliver greater value, all while fueling innovation across multiple sectors,” Mathew said. “Most importantly, we want as many industrial workers across mining, construction, insurance and adjacent markets to benefit from the Kespry Aerial Intelligence platform.”

Kespry is also looking to grow its presence in oil and gas. Daniel Jeavons, general manager of advanced analytics at Shell, said Kespry’s technology make a major difference in the industry.

“Industrial drones combined with AI and Machine Learning will make industrial work more efficient and safer,” Jeavons said in a statement. “For instance, Kespry drones can help us optimize how we load cargo on to vessels or run inventory analysis in our lay down yards. These technologies give my colleagues powerful new digital tools and important, future-focused skills.”

Kespry is only one of several drone startups courting the enterprise. Others include San Francisco-based DroneDeploy, which raised $20 million last year, and Measure, which raised $15 million in January.

Photo: Kespry