May 1, 2016

Aerial remote sensing and analytics startup Slantrange has raised a $5 million Series A from a consortium of investors led by San Diego-based investment firm, The Investment Group.

Founded in 2013 by CEO, Mike Ritter and VP of Engineering, Mike Milton, Slantrange provides sensors and analytic systems for use on drones that can measure crop and weed densities, crop stress from pests, dehydration, and nutritional deficiencies to help farmers make more informed production decisions for better resulting yields and lower costs.

“Farmers are continually seeking ways to improve crop yields with minimal risk,’ said Mike Ritter. “Drones offer an exciting solution, but historically haven’t been built for the precise needs of the agriculture industry. SLANTRANGE delivers on the promise of drones with an intelligence system that combines hardware and software to bring farmers crop information they need to make better operational decisions.”

Slantrange’s technology is calibrated with an on-board ambient sunlight spectrometer, providing more accurate information over the course of a single or even multiple growing seasons. In addition, unlike other conventional mapping, Slantrange’s technology requires only a 20% overlap, translating to four times more land covered per flight.

“Technology is transforming agriculture, and drones represent a key part of that change,” said Sheldon Lewis, the lead Series A investor in a recent press release. “Rather than slow, costly and sometimes inaccurate visual inspection, SLANTRANGE helps farmers harness vast amounts of drone data to improve all aspects of their operations. They’re creating a critical new market to help farmers feed a growing world.”