HOOD RIVER, ORE. – Overwatch Imaging, which develops airborne imaging systems for manned and unmanned aircraft, today announced completing its Series A funding round with an investment from Tenax Aerospace. The amount of the funding was not disclosed.
The company said it would use the funding to accelerate the company’s growth, expanding production operations and speed up development of onboard artificial intelligence software. The company designs and manufactures imaging systems with custom AI software for large-scale, time-critical civil and special mission applications.
Greg Davis, Overwatch Imaging CEO
Tenax Aerospace, which supports U.S. government, defense and civilian clients with special mission aviation solutions, made a significant investment in the company and was the sole investor in the round. Taran Bakker, president of Tenax Aerospace, will join Overwatch Imaging founders Greg Davis and Nick Anderson on the company’s board.
“Tenax Aerospace has tremendous experience developing and working with sophisticated special mission aircraft for its clients,” said Greg Davis, CEO of Overwatch Imaging. “They understand the missions we support and the value our imaging systems bring to large-scale, time-critical civil and special mission applications. Their investment reflects the excitement we share about our technology changing the game for many important applications.”
Overwatch Imaging provides aerial imaging for aircaft such as the Schiebel S100. Source: Overwatch Imaging
“Overwatch Imaging has developed an exciting new technology that will be very valuable to customers with special missions involving surveillance, mapping or threat detection,” said Bakker. “Greg and his team have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the imaging industry, which they’ve used to create a differentiated product that provides customers with an innovative and cost-effective solution to detection-related problems. Overwatch Imaging is an emerging leader in artificial intelligence and autonomy in airborne imaging and we look forward to our continued work with them.”
Overwatch Imaging said it conducted a six-month process with potential investors, concluding that Tenax Aerospace would be the ideal partner in scaling up its operations. “We immediately shared a common vision for the future,” said Davis. “I am excited to have Taran’s expertise and enthusiasm on our board as we grow.”
Imaging over land, sea or infrastructure
The company’s imaging systems help organizations quickly find what they are looking for from the air, so they can focus less on the search and more on the best response. Real-time automatic detection and reporting capabilities in the systems make them useful for applications such as automated land surveillance, maritime patrol and search, and linear infrastructure inspection.
Additional features include longer-lasting data products, such as image maps and terrain models that can monitor changes over time. “By helping organizations of all kinds move to autonomous aerial detection, Overwatch Imaging helps them improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance safety,” the company said.
Examples of groups using the company’s systems include fighting wildfires, searching for small boats at sea, monitoring oil fields for changes, inspecting railroad tracks, identifying irrigation failures in agriculture, and even protecting endangered rhinos. Additional information on the company and its products and services can be found on the Overwatch Imaging website.
