The year of the balloon continues.
Urban Sky, a stratospheric balloon imaging startup, announced a $9.75M Series A round yesterday to build out its sensor tech and expand commercial imaging capabilities to 15+ states.
The round was led by New Legacy Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, and Lavrock Ventures.
Balloon pics: The company relies on small reusable balloons to capture high-resolution pictures for customers. Its mobile launch system and controlled descent allow the company to maneuver its balloons over a specific area to capture a precise picture—solving a problem typically faced by stratospheric balloons.
- The company sensor payloads can capture ~10cm high-resolution images and ~3.5m long-wave-infrared data.
- Its imaging sensors use component miniaturization and weigh just 6 lbs.
Andrew Antonio and Jared Leidich, both alums of stratospheric balloon tourism company World View, founded the Denver-based startup four years ago.
“The stratosphere is one of the last, virtually untapped commercial frontiers, and Urban Sky plans to commercialize this layer of Earth’s atmosphere for the benefit of all humanity,” Antonio said.
The company serves the Rocky Mountain region’s insurance, environmental monitoring, and oil and gas markets. With the cash injection, the company aims to broaden its reach geographically and across customer segments.
SkyWatch, an Urban Sky channel partner, said the company’s stratosphere approach provides the market with much-needed capacity, adding that “satellite-based supply constraints have significantly curtailed our ability to satisfy this growing appetite.”
