Airware is shutting down after raising $118M

Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by danso on Friday September 14, 2018 @03:00PM (#17989891)

I know the article says Airware attempted to go into hardware, but did its operating system (ostensibly its main product) have users?

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by anonairwavedev on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:20PM (#17991521)

Nope, never did. We build 2 OS(s): the first was based on linux with a rtos package (2013-14?). That was scrapped and a new fully custom hardware package was built with a fully custom OS (built by a team that never had done this) and was built for a low power arm processor. We were plagued by huge issues most of the time due to that OS being nearly impossible to debug or work with. Also doing that prevented any third-party from building anything because there wasn't a SDK or even a platform to build on.

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by ddtaylor on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:26PM (#17991568)

How do companies raise $10M+ without having a product ready to use? (Real question I run a startup that needs funding)

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by anonairwavedev on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:44PM (#17991697)

We actually did have something at that point -- it was based on existing hardware and it did work. I seem to recall the original CEO taking I think someone from A16Z (?) out to a parking lot and flying an aircraft around as a demo

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by gonational on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:36PM (#17991629)

Please when you find this out let me know as well, as I am also in the market for some free money.

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by quickthrower2 on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:39PM (#17991659)

You need to cast the magic spell. The following spells work well:

"Drone"

"AI"

"Blockchain"

etc.

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by notJim on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:48PM (#17991713)

Also VR or even better, AR!

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by rasz on Saturday September 15, 2018 @07:10AM (#17993836)

Its all about who you know and how shiny can you look to the outsiders (founders being MIT grads etc).

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by toss1 on Friday September 14, 2018 @09:59PM (#17992544)

So, as of the shutdown, is there anything even close to a usable software stack, or is it all just prototype stuff?

Why, if they had all that funding, and assuming that they had good reasons for a custom OS, would they fail to hire an experienced team to build one -- it seems that the time saved by experience would be well worth it?

Bottom line, is there any software of value that some other drone company might want to purchase?

(edit: add last line)

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by person_of_color on Friday September 14, 2018 @11:07PM (#17992751)

Have you considered joining Propeller Aero?

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by roymurdock on Friday September 14, 2018 @03:41PM (#17990259)

https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/16/airware/

A few customers listed here: Delta Drone, Drone America.

Sounds like the market didn't want or need a $2500/yr/drone software package for automating flights/data retrieval/storage. And there's simply no competing at the hardware level with DJI, even with $118M in funding.

"Across all prices in North America, DJI represented 50 percent of the market, Snow says. The price range where DJI is not dominant is drones under $500, which are mostly toys, and where there are hundreds of companies competing." [1]

There's money to be made in industrial (non-warfare) drones - but not as much as everyone thinks, and competition is really tough.

[1] https://www.recode.net/2017/4/14/14690576/drone-market-share...

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by anonairwavedev on Friday September 14, 2018 @06:49PM (#17991720)

None of those customers ever got an SDK (because there wasn't one) or any software. They only provided vehicles.

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by roymurdock on Friday September 14, 2018 @07:11PM (#17991829)

sounds like a really frustrating experience. sorry to hear about all the pivots, lack of strategy and vision. a good/interesting idea killed by overengineering and tough competition. sounds like you learned a lot of valuable lessons on someone else's dime while the ride lasted

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by anonairwavedev on Friday September 14, 2018 @08:11PM (#17992114)

Thank you —- this makes me feel much better about the time I spent there :)

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Re:Airware is shutting down after raising $118M by ianiridium on Saturday September 15, 2018 @07:18AM (#17993850)

anon: would be interested to chat if you can reach out: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iridium-dynamics/

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