Professional drone services company DroneBase has raised $7.5 million in Series C funding.

DroneBase will use this funding to expand its services to the renewable energy market with DroneBase Insights for Wind and Solar, and to open its first international office in Germany.

“DroneBase’s expansion into renewable energy reflects our belief in the growth potential of the wind and solar energy industries,” says Dan Burton, CEO and founder of DroneBase.

“Since many energy companies have both wind and solar assets, we are well positioned to leverage our DroneBase Insights platform to grow our global market share in renewable energy.”

Utilizing DroneBase Insights for Wind, energy companies can use drone technology to inspect a wind turbine’s vital components through an autonomous flight system. This offers consistent data, actionable insights, and lifecycle management. The platform is trained on a large database of turbine imagery, and leverages machine learning algorithms to pre-screen images without damage and focus customers’ attention on potential issues.

Through the company's thermal pilot network trained by the FLIR Infrared Training Center, DroneBase Insights for Solar collects accurate data that allows enterprises to work together and share thermal analysis efficiently amongst team members.

DroneBase notes that drones and manned aircraft gather high-definition imagery quicker than traditional inspection methods. These aircraft minimize downtime and maximize energy production for renewable energy companies, and keep people out of harm’s way. 

“DroneBase has been instrumental in helping us scale solar asset inspection and analysis across North America,” says Jamie Mordarski, director of Operations and Maintenance, Americas at SMA.

“Their ability to provide 100 percent aerial coverage by using drones and manned aircraft gives them a tremendous competitive advantage. We look forward to growing our partnership with DroneBase as our portfolio grows.”

With the launch of DroneBase Europe in Germany, DroneBase will expand its ability to support current customers and global energy partners with assets in Europe.