International drone startup to launch US branch in Phoenix area

PHOENIX — A drone startup based in Israel opened its first American office Tuesday in Scottsdale and said the site would eventually serve as its global headquarters.

Airobotics, which specializes in pilotless drones, planned to hire 80 for the office near Loop 101 and Raintree Drive, by the end of next year.

Worldwide, the firm employs 250.

“Arizona was the top choice for us as it has a strong mining industry, great weather conditions for drone testing, and potential partners we’re excited to work with,” Ran Krauss, CEO and cofounder of Airobotics, said in a statement.

The automated drones have been deployed for industrial uses, including mining, one of Arizona’s major economy drivers. Australian mining company BHP, which runs copper-mining operations in Arizona, was the first U.S.

Krauss also cited positive state and local governments’ attitudes toward “autonomous and aviation technologies” as a factor in choosing the Valley.

“They could not have picked a better base of operations,” Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane said in the announcement.

The unmanned aerial vehicle maker was established in 2014 and had raised $71 million in funding, according to Craft.co, a data and analytics platform.

@AiroboticsUAV launching its North America headquarters in Scottsdale today. They’ve created the only data-driven, fully automated drone. @bhp, the world’s largest mining company is @AiroboticsUAV first customer in the US. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/AP3tSaPY92

— Ali Vetnar (@Ali_Vetnar) September 25, 2018

“The idea for us when we started Airobotics was to pull the pilot out of the loop,” Krauss told tech website VentureBeat.

“It’s the most expensive part of the operations. That’s clear when you’re talking about autonomous cars. But it’s not as obvious when you’re talking about the pilot of a drone,” he said.

The company also has branches in Australia and sites in Chile and the French territory of New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

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