About Skyward
Skyward is an Aerospace, Defense & Maritime company based in Portland (United States) founded in 2012, and was acquired by Verizon in February 2017. Drone fleet management solutions are provided for enterprises. Skyward has raised $8.12 million across 4 funding rounds from investors including Verizon, Norwest Venture Partners and Techstars. The company was acqui-hired. Its focus areas include High Tech, Drones, Drone Software and Fleet Management. Its legal entity is SkyWard IO, Inc. Its competitors include FlytBase and Red Cat; 2 of its 2 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Founded in 2012 and based in Portland, United States, Skyward operates in the aerial robotics sector. Drone fleet management software is offered to enterprises, connecting unmanned aircraft systems operators with regulators and insurers to facilitate compliant flights. A digital system of record is maintained, along with real-time information exchange across the network. Cloud-based tools, including administrative dashboards for managers and mobile apps for operators, are integrated for seamless connectivity.
- Headquarters Portland, United States
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsAerospace, Defense & Maritime
- Website skyward.io
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Verizon (Feb 2017)
- Legal Name Skyward Io, Inc.
Funding Insights of Skyward
Skyward has successfully raised a total of $8.12M across 4 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Seed round of $2.38 million completed in June 2016. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $8.12M
- Total Rounds 4
- Last Round Seed — $2.38M
- First Round $140,000
(May 2014)
- Investors Count 8
All 4 funding rounds of Skyward with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2016 | $2.38M | Seed | – | – | – |
| Apr 2015 | $4.1M | Seed | – | Founders' Co-op, Norwest Venture Partners | – |
| Jul 2014 | $1.5M | Seed | – | – | |
| May 2014 | $140,000 | Seed | – | – | – |
8 investors in total: 8 institutional.
Investors in Skyward
Skyward has secured backing from 8 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Verizon, Norwest Venture Partners and Techstars.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Seed and early-stage tech investments are made in the US. | founderscoop.com | Seattle, United States | ||
Venture capital and growth equity firm providing investments and resources to entrepreneurs in various sectors. | 1961 | nvp.com | Menlo Park, United States | |
Startups are accelerated globally without sector restrictions through structured programs. | 2006 | techstars.com | New York, United States | |
Early-stage US tech investments are managed by Voyager Capital. | voyagercapital.com | Seattle, United States | ||
Early-stage technology companies receive venture capital investments. | draper.vc | San Mateo, United States | ||
Early-stage US startups are invested in by Moment Ventures. | momentventures.com | Hanalei, United States | ||
Seed-stage tech investments are made in the US and UK. | pipeline.vc | Anchorage, United States | ||
Mobile and internet services are provided to homes and businesses. | 1983 | verizon.com | New York, United States |
Investor details for Skyward
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
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Timeline of Skyward
4 dated milestones of Skyward across 5 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Skyward is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $140K.
- Funding Latest funding round, Seed, of $2.4M.
- Exit Acquired by Verizon.
Competitors of Skyward
Skyward has 2 listed competitors in our database, 2 of them funded. They include FlytBase and Red Cat.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| flytbase.com | 2013 | San Jose, United States | $125,000 | 88 | Drone autonomy platform for aerial data collection is provided. | |
| redcat.red | 2016 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | $380,000 | Military drones and AI solutions are provided for defense operations. |
Detailed competitors of Skyward
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Web traffic of Skyward
Websites that share an audience with Skyward (skyward.io).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Skyward. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cl.ly | cl.ly | 100% | #2,060,257 | – | |
cypress-openhire.silkroad.com | cypress-openhire.silkroad.com | 60% | – | ||
| hackforums.net | 60% | #125,955 | View details | ||
hackaday.com | hackaday.com | 60% | #27,905 | – | |
plus.google.com | plus.google.com | 60% | – | ||
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 7 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Skyward
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- 7 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
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Top companies in Drone & Aerial Mobility
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Skyward (Drone & Aerial Mobility) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Provider of AI-based drone surveillance solutions for defense and maritime sector | 2017 | Orange, California, United States | USD 11.29 B | 9,670 | ||
Autonomous drones and AI pilots for fighter jets are developed. | 2015 | San Diego, California, United States | USD 3.52 B | 1,965 | ||
Autonomous drones, software, and accessories are manufactured for various sectors. | 2014 | San Mateo, California, United States | USD 825 M | 1,067 |
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Related news about Skyward
Complete news archive for Skyward
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Frequently Asked Questions about Skyward
Skyward was founded in 2012 and raised its 1st funding round 2 years after it was founded.
Skyward is headquartered in Portland, United States. It is registered at Portland, Oregon, United States.
Skyward is a funded company, having raised a total of $8.12M across 4 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $140K, raised on May 2014.
Founded in 2012 and based in Portland, United States, Skyward operates in the aerial robotics sector. Drone fleet management software is offered to enterprises, connecting unmanned aircraft systems operators with regulators and insurers to facilitate compliant flights. A digital system of record is maintained, along with real-time information exchange across the network. Cloud-based tools, including administrative dashboards for managers and mobile apps for operators, are integrated for seamless connectivity.
Skyward has 8 investors. Key investors include Verizon, Norwest Venture Partners, Techstars, Founders' Co-op, and Voyager Capital.
Skyward operates through Skyward Io, Inc..
Yes. Skyward was acquired by Verizon in February 2017.