Waterloo’s Aeryon Labs, already flying high for helping Libyan rebels oust the Gadhafi regime this summer, gained further altitude this week when San Diego-based Datron World Communications bought a “significant” equity stake in the aerial-drone maker.
The investment, the size of which was not disclosed, will be focused on expanding Aeryon’s research-and-development team, CEO Dave Kroetsch told Communitech.
Kroetsch said his company, profiled by Communitech in July, expects to add up to 15 jobs to its current staff of 23 over the next year thanks to the Datron investment.
Aeryon attracted worldwide media attention in August when it revealed it had supplied the Libyan National Council with its Scout surveillance drone. The compact, quiet Scout allowed the rebels to monitor the movement of troops loyal to dictator Moammar Gadhafi, making it a key tool in freeing Libyans from four decades of brutal repression.
“The Libya news has been yet another proof point for potential customers that the product is real-world and proven,” Kroetsch said. “There's no doubt it raised our visibility to a whole new audience."
Video: Aeryon Scout in action over Libya
