6/7/19 Boeing invests in Robotic Skies - Albuquerque Business First

The Boeing HorizonX Venture fund has invested an undisclosed amount in Albuquerque's Robotic Skies.

Albuquerque drone company Robotic Skies has netted an undisclosed amount of investment from the Boeing HorizonX Ventures fund.

The startup, which provides local maintenance, repair and customer service to unmanned aircraft markets across the globe, also received investment from Thayer Ventures, Santa Fe's Sun Mountain Capital and Kickstart Seed Fund, according to a Boeing release. The round was led by Boeing.

"Unmanned and autonomous commercial aircraft operations are increasingly mirroring those in manned aviation, including the need for quality maintenance provided by certified technicians," said Robotic Skies president and CEO Brad Hayden in a prepared statement. "This latest investment will allow us to continue to grow our global footprint and expand operational capabilities to support customers."

Boeing, its subsidiaries Jeppesen and Aviall, and Robotic Skies partnered last year to optimize supply chain management and optimization, develop analytics and maintenance, repair and overhaul services for UAS markets, according to a separate Boeing release.

Robotic Skies was founded in Albuquerque in 2014 and has over 170 repair stations in over 40 countries, according to its website. It provides services worldwide by finding customers, negotiating service rates and connecting them with service providers. The company also offers technician training.

Boeing HorizonX Venture's portfolio consists of 19 companies and the fund primarily typically invests between $1 million and into the low tens of millions, GeekWire reported.

Representatives from Sun Mountain Capital, Boeing and Robotic Skies were unavailable for immediate comment.