The investment allows Airware to accelerate programmes that enable dealers to offer solutions and services within the construction, mining, and quarrying industries, and highlights Caterpillar’s commitment in leading the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

George Taylor, chief marketing officer and vice president of the marketing and digital division at Caterpillar, said: “This investment is a continuation of Caterpillar’s commitment to help our customers be more productive and make improved business decisions. In collaboration with Airware, we are better positioned to offer drone services through industry-leading technology that helps digitise and optimise operations.”

In September 2016, Airware acquired Redbird, a drone analytics pioneer, to bring a powerful commercial drone solution for mining and aggregates to market. Today, teams from around the world are using the Airware Redbird solution to monitor day-to-day progress of their sites to improve productivity, worker safety, and operational efficiency.

Jonathan Downey, founder and CEO of Airware, said: “Commercial drone technology is becoming a necessity for construction, mining and quarrying organisations looking to increase overall productivity while cutting costs. Airware provides customers the combined power of an enterprise-focused workflow and industry-specific data analytics with the compliance and security features needed to scale drone operations.”

This means that Caterpillar dealers will be able to offer their customers drone services and analytics, including a core set of photogrammetry, mapping, and volumetrics tools, and a suite of advanced analysis and reporting modules. Caterpillar dealer Bergerat Monnoyeur will be among the first dealers.

Greg Arranz, general manager, SITECH at Bergerat Monnoyeur, commented: “We are committed to bringing cutting-edge technology and world-class services to our customers. Airware is an established leader in putting drones to work for mining, construction, and quarrying. They understand the needs of our customers, what it takes to scale operations, and the importance of offering industry-specific analytics to drive better decision making. We’re proud to bring Airware to our customers.”