Bristow invests in Sky-Futures drone company

Spot the UAV

Bristow has invested $4.2 million in Sky-Futures, a company that specialises in oil and gas drone inspections and data.

The two companies both service off-shore oil and gas companies across the world. Sky-Future operates in many of the same regions with its drones being used to inspect rigs in the the North Sea, Middle East, South East Asia, North Africa and the Gulf of Mexico. It was one of the first companies to receive FAA approval to operate drones in the US).

“In this new market reality where continued cost pressures compel companies to find new solutions, our investment in Sky-Futures puts Bristow at the forefront of offering innovative solutions that help our mutual clients achieve further efficiencies in their operations,” said Jonathan Baliff, CEO of Bristow Group. “Through our partnership, we will collaborate with Sky-Futures and its leading safety culture, operational integration, and analysis technology to capitalize beyond the growing need for global UAV inspection services in oil and gas to other industries, including search and rescue.”

James Harrison, Sky-Futures CEO and co-founder said, “This partnership between Bristow and Sky-Futures enables us to rapidly expand the operational delivery of drone based inspection services in the global oil and gas market. We’re really excited because it allows us to enhance our advanced technology platform that powers industrial data capture and analysis, providing our clients with increasingly valuable and actionable information.”

Investors include MMC Ventures and Airware’s Commercial Drone Fund.