Local UAS startup Botlink has come a long way since they first announced their drone-tracking application at 1 Million Cups – they officially announced a 500k seed investment that they received last fall, and today they are launching the beta version of their software to some qualified beta testers.
“We’re getting a lot of traction with all the publicity from this,” said Botlink CEO, Shawn Muehler. “Our social [media] is going crazy.”
The Money
Last December, in the wake of Muehler’s presentation at 1 Million Cups and a whole slew of media attention, Botlink received a 500K investment from local businesspeople who wish to remain anonymous.
The money – the amount of which Botlink was only recently able to disclose – allowed them to hire 6 employees and get the rest on full-time pay. It also allowed the team to move to their new offices in the Black Building, and equip their offices with the tech needed to build their application.
Now, Muehler said, Botlink is ready for the next step in funding and is currently seeking a Series A round.
Today: Beta + Website release
Among the new Botlink team members is Adam Wiedman, the Creative Director. Wiedman has been re-vamping Botlink’s website these past couple months, and the new and improved website will be going public today.
But the big release today is the beta test. They currently have over 800 sign ups to test the Botlink software, but for this release they are only selecting the most qualified, Muehler said.
Beta testers will be able to use Botlink’s software to track their drone, plotting it on a GPS map that tells them where they are in relation to other aircraft. They will be able to see other aircraft in the sky in real-time, thanks to an integration of FAA data. And if they fly their drone into private space, they will be notified right away.
Botlink: the most secure drone platform in the world
Botlink has also announced a partnership with Launchkey*, a company that offers multi-factor authentication and real-time authorization from mobile devices. They claim to be “the first decentralized auth platform for the post-password era and the Internet of Things that turns the mobile devices…into flexible smart keys.”
With this partnership, Botlink is now the first drone software in the world with a secure log-in to your drone, Muehler said.
“You can set parameters for where you can log in now,” Muehler explained. “Let’s say I’m a business owner and have a lot of operators. I can say, you can only log in within a certain circle.”
The partnership completes Botlink’s motto of being “Simple. Safe. Secure.”
“We’re simple drone control, safe because we give alerts on positions of other aircraft and airspace around the drone. And now we’re probably the most secure drone platform in the world,” Muehler said. “We’re hitting all the features we’re hoping to achieve.”
Releasing this month
But today, that all will be thrown in the hands of their beta testers. Muehler said they hope to receive feedback from the testers, iterate, and then release the software publicly later this month.
Right now, Muehler said, their only competition is Silicon Valley startups that have ideas, but no products. When they launch they really will be making waves, he said.
“We’ll be the first commercially available drone safety and control platform in the world,” he said.
Learn more about Botlink, here!
*(Fun fact: Launchkey came about as a first place winner of Startup Weekend Las Vegas, 2012.)
