PrecisionHawk acquires Uplift for construction drone tech

Uplift adds commercially trained pilots and expands PrecisionHawk’s industry expertise and relationships in drone-based services for construction and facility management nationwide.

PrecisionHawk Inc., a provider of drone technology for enterprise, has purchased Uplift Data Partners.

Uplift specializes in the delivery of turnkey inspection services for construction, building information management and real estate, and has provided drone services for national and global brands.

Its nationwide network of commercially trained drone pilots will join PrecisionHawk’s Droners.io network of more than 15,000 drone pilots. Suzanne El-Moursi, CEO of Uplift, will join PrecisionHawk’s executive leadership team managing the company’s construction line of business.

This is the fifth acquisition for PrecisionHawk in 2018. Early acquisitions include Droners.io and Airvid. In September, it purchased both Hazon Solutions and InspecTools which specialize in the delivery of inspection services and technology for the energy industry. Their integration with PrecisionHawk has created dynamic synergy, providing solutions that elevate airborne intelligence and strengthen the data value chain for the enterprise.

Similar to the energy space, the construction industry has experienced a rapid uptake in the adoption of commercial drone technology. Drones are now one of the leading innovative technologies that are transforming the construction process since they decrease the need for lengthy visual inspections, reduce planning time, improve worker safety and identify problems.

Uplift Data Partners was formed in 2015 as a fully integrated subsidiary of Clayco, one of the nation’s largest architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firms, with more than $2 billion in annual revenue.

Through the acquisition, Clayco will exclusively source its construction projects to PrecisionHawk, and will serve on PrecisionHawk’s Board of Advisors to support the growth of the company’s services and software in the construction industry.

The PrecisionHawk UAV. (Photo: PrecisionHawk)

“PrecisionHawk is leading the commercial drone market by combining superior technology with deep expertise in the markets that they serve,” said Bob Clark, Clayco CEO. “Through this acquisition, Clayco customers gain access to a new level of technological sophistication for more scalable and robust operations, while continuing to benefit from Uplift’s deep understanding of the demanding nature of engineering and construction industry drone missions,.”

“This acquisition displays PrecisionHawk’s commitment to strengthening our technology and expertise in high-growth markets,” said Michael Chasen, PrecisionHawk CEO. “By combining PrecisionHawk’s leading-edge products and services with Uplift’s industry experience and training standards, our customers will receive best-in-class aerial data and analytics for complex construction and facility inspection projects through a simple and easy to procure process.”

“Our mission at Uplift is to support the modernization of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry by creating tools and training that improve the accessibility of drone services, thereby delivering true value to construction projects,” said Uplift CEO Suzanne El-Moursi. “The construction industry is uniquely rugged, yet defined by innovation and intelligence, and we are thrilled to join PrecisionHawk, a company that is both aligned to this mission and committed to the growth and expansion of the industry.”