SkyX turns 5: What we’ve learned so far Posted on October 8, 2021 This year marks an important milestone in the SkyX story. It’s been five years since our journey began in 2016. Our Founder, Didi Horn, first had the vision to start an aerial data company during his ten years as a Special Ops commander for a drone squadron in the Air Force. He saw the aerial data that they were able to capture via cutting-edge drones and recognized the technology’s unlimited potential. He wondered, is there a commercial use for it? Five years later, we can say for certain that yes, there is a commercial use for it. Today, our aerial data solution is helping Oil and Gas companies take a proactive approach to pipeline monitoring and integrity which helps ensure the health and safety of people and the planet. We’re excited to be starting a new chapter in our story – one of growth and acceleration on a massive global scale. Here are five lessons we’ve learned over the last five years 1/ Improve the process, improve the results Our solution was built as the most streamlined and repeatable long-range aerial monitoring process for the Oil and Gas industry. This process has helped us carve a niche and provide valuable and systematic offerings to our customers and partners. Knowing that the needs of the Oil and Gas industry are evolving, we continue to invest in the development and improvement of our aerial systems, software and services to better serve the needs of the industry today and in the future. 2/ New challenges, new approaches Whether it is operating in new environments, remote piloting from our Canadian headquarters, flying over terrain that has not been flown before, or working with vastly different temperatures and weather patterns, new challenges are always around the corner. We use what we learn from each mission and experience to adapt and inform everything we do, from the design of our unmanned aircraft to upgrades to our SkyVision software. We look forward to adapting to the next set of challenges in the coming years to help more customers improve pipeline integrity. 3/ Always deliver Oil and Gas companies globally are operating with real concerns about pipeline integrity and ageing infrastructure. If those concerns continue to grow, the need for solutions to prevent significant incidents from occurring will continue to increase. Over the past five years, Oil and Gas companies have begun to adopt our aerial data solution to get ahead of potential issues. With our results-driven approach, we consistently deliver the ongoing intelligence and actionable data that gives our customers confidence in their decisions. 4/ Make the impossible, possible In some areas of the world, infrastructure and pipelines are degrading much faster due to a number of factors, including age, environmental conditions, accessibility, maintenance, and so on. Our solution makes it possible for operators in these geographies to get access to critical aerial data that can make a significant impact on their ability to maintain the integrity of their pipelines, even in areas that are nearly impossible to access by manned vehicles. 5/ Just do it In a recent interview, Didi shared an important lesson he learned on this journey. He said, “I wasted a year and a half before starting SkyX on the what-ifs, pondering whether or not someone else already did what I wanted to do or if someone will do it faster than me. Just do it. If you have the idea or the path, get yourself going. You’ll know on the way if you missed the train or are on track.” This advice shines through in the SkyX culture today because we know that if we don’t “just do it” (deploy our solution all over the world) we will never make the impact we want to make on human safety and environmental sustainability. Over the last five years, SkyX has operated with adaptability, flexibility, and a results-driven mindset which has enabled us to help Oil and Gas companies all over the world, remotely and in person. With changing environments and new obstacles to face, we as a growing team are looking forward to continuing to lead the shift to proactive pipeline monitoring and protecting people and the planet from harmful incidents. We look forward to the next 5 years and we invite you to join us on our journey. Follow us on LinkedIn Talk to us about our solution