SEATTLE — The venture capital arms of Microsoft, Airbus and Qualcomm have led a $26 million investment in AirMap, the builder of drone air traffic management software said.
The startup, which opened its first office in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2015, builds technology that tracks air traffic, weather and flight restrictions in real time to guide unmanned aerial vehicles. AirMap’s software supports over 100,000 flights a day, the company said.
Drones are among the hottest emerging technologies, with companies such as Amazon and a range of startups betting that the vehicles will play a greater role in the economy as their technology improves and regulations allow for increased use and autonomous flight.
“Drones are proving their value today, but this is just the beginning,” AirMap co-founders Ben Marcus and Gregory McNeal wrote in a blog post on the investment.
