Reaching for the Sky
LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA / ACCESS Newswire / March 18, 2025 / As AI continues to evolve, Louisiana tech investor Joe Stough is leading the way with FlyGuys, which uses proprietary software to match supply and demand for drones. With a managed online marketplace business model, FlyGuys brings together over 14,000 Federal Aviation Administration-licensed drone pilots nationwide to assist clients and software companies in need of reality data.
FlyGuys' clients work in various industries, performing tasks such as studying the productivity of a solar panel, inspecting utility poles, assessing the status of a commercial parking lot, or even modeling a cell tower. What unites them is a shared goal: easily finding and engaging drone operators to do work that would otherwise be difficult or dangerous for humans.
'Our drone operators are capable of delivering inspection reports quickly and with more precision than a human looking with their naked eye,' says Stough, CEO.
Stough's extensive history as a global software creator and tech investor-with a focus on operational excellence-has given him valuable insight into the industry. He came to FlyGuys after successfully investing in the food delivery app Waitr, a company he eventually ran and took public. When common investors between Waitr and FlyGuys asked Stough to serve as a coach to the FlyGuys founder, he became an investor and was named Board Chairman. In 2022, Stough shifted gears and became CEO with the goal of elevating FlyGuys to a new level by bringing operational excellence processes to an already promising business model.
How It Works
Engaging FlyGuys is simple. Once clients submit an order for data capture using FlyGuys' proprietary cloud-based software, the AI platform sources the appropriate drone pilot based on location and experience, obtains a commitment from the pilot through a micro-contract, and coordinates the mission. Drone operators then confirm the job by a specified check-in confirmation date, ensuring no customer commitments fall through the cracks.
'Other companies deliver a similar service, but most narrow their focus to one or two vertical markets,' says Stough. 'FlyGuys is AI-agnostic by design, so there's no limit to the vertical markets we can access.' As partners to AI software companies and drone pilots or service providers, FlyGuys' pure horizontal focus makes it unique. The company also prides itself on delivering quality services however big it grows.
Market response has been exceptional. After a significant investment in cloud-based software, FlyGuys' revenue exploded from $3.9 million in 2023 to $10 million in 2024. By 2025, the company is projected to grow an additional 100%, and over the next five years its annual revenue is on track to reach $100 million. 'But even that,' says Stough, 'is nowhere near the limit of FlyGuys' potential.
'The total market for these reality data-gathering products is in the billions,' he continues. 'It's a highly disruptive technology in a sizable but fragmented market with very little competition. And it's exactly the kind of technology that clients nationwide will need to grow into the future.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
27 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Ford Ends Employee Pricing But Launches Aggressive New Incentives for July
As Americans braced for the worst-case scenario in light of President Trump's 25% tariffs on foreign auto imports, Ford announced a new promotional campaign called "From America, For America" aimed at alleviating some of the fears that would have kept once-eager car buyers from purchasing new cars. While other automakers like Hyundai, Genesis, and Nissan sent letters to dealers and/or launched programs that promised their dealers and customers that their vehicles' MSRPs would not increase until June, Ford did something slightly different. The Dearborn-based automaker not only bolstered its homegrown, "made-in-America" image by reaffirming its manufacturing roots, but also introduced an employee pricing program that proved to be popular with its buyers. Following three months of employee pricing discounts, Ford is entering the third quarter and the second half of 2025 with a bang, as it introduces a new pricing scheme to attract value-conscious buyers to the beacon of the Blue Oval. In an announcement on July 8, the automaker said that in place of the employee pricing program, it will follow up by offering no-interest financing for 48 months, with no money down and no payments required for the first 90 days on most Ford and Lincoln cars. In a blog post on Ford's website, Rob Kaffl, Ford's director of U.S. sales and dealer relations, said that the company came up with the program after hearing from its dealers that "more customers could benefit if we could reduce the upfront, out-of-pocket expense to buy or lease a vehicle," adding that other everyday expenses are disincentivizing buyers from a new set of wheels. "Many families have seen their savings go toward higher mortgage rates and summer travel costs," he said. "They want a new vehicle but also want options that allow them to forgo an upfront down payment." The "0-0-0 summer sales event," as Ford calls it, begins on July 8 and follows a very successful sales program for the automaker. According to newly released Ford sales data, the employee pricing campaign has successfully gotten more people into new vehicles. Year-over-year sales of Ford and Lincoln vehicles shot up by 14% in Q2 2025, while their market share jumped by 1.8 percentage points. In a statement on July 1, Ford said sales in the second quarter were bolstered by strong pickup and hybrid sales, even as EV sales took a 31% dip. According to the automaker, Q2 2025 was the best second quarter for the ever-popular F-series truck since 2019, while its smaller brother, the Maverick, saw its best sales quarter since its 2021 debut. "We blew the doors off the overall industry with our second-quarter sales," Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e, said in a statement. "Customers continue appreciating our broad powertrain choices [...] and our Ford Motor Company: From America, For America commitment." It should be said that the fine print does contain some potential deal-breaking caveats that could drive some buyers away from taking potential purchasing actions. They include the fact that the Triple Zero deal is excluded from 2024 model year Ford Raptor vehicles, Maverick, Ranger, non-ICE versions of the Transit, non-XL Super Duty pickups, F-150 Lightning, and Mustang Mach-E. Additionally, the Triple Zero deal is not eligible to be used on 2025 model year Ford Raptor vehicles, Maverick, Ranger, Transit, Super Duty, and popular cars, including the Bronco Sport, Bronco, Expedition, and the Lincoln Navigator. Not only does Ford state that buyers are responsible for tax, title, license, and dealer fees, but they also mention that "Not all buyers will qualify" for the advertised Triple Zero deal. This is important to note, as data from Edmunds states that 0% finance deals are incredibly rare, accounting for just 0.9% of new-vehicle loans in Q2 2025, the lowest share Edmunds recorded since 2004, and down from 1% in Q1 2025 and 2.9% in Q2 2024. However, despite this, Ford's action shows that it is willing to work to make its vehicles more accessible to buyers, as affordability will become more of a consideration going into the second half of the year. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kura Sushi: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (KRUS) on Tuesday reported profit of $565,000 in its fiscal third quarter. The Irvine, California-based company said it had net income of 5 cents per share. The company posted revenue of $74 million in the period, exceeding Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $72.4 million. Kura Sushi expects full-year revenue of $281 million. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights ( using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on KRUS at
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elektrobit and Foxconn plan to jointly develop EV platform
This story was originally published on Automotive Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Automotive Dive newsletter. Automotive software developer Elektrobit has signed a joint development agreement with electronics contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. ('Foxconn') to build an AI-powered platform for software-defined, electric vehicles, the company announced in a June 25 press release. The scalable vehicle architecture, dubbed ' will support multiple high-performance and real-time ECUs. It will also include service-oriented architectures across three core functional domains. The platform will include a reference E/E architecture, non-differentiating EV operating system and EV application, according to the release. According to Elektrobit, the project with Taiwan-based Foxconn will leverage its core strengths in open-source and proprietary software applications and their integration into large-scale automotive projects. The two companies also aim to reduce the platform's complexity to accelerate its deployment and reduce the total cost of ownership, according to the release. 'Elektrobit and Foxconn will combine their unique strengths in software and hardware to become an original design manufacturing (ODM) team for the automotive industry, " said Elektrobit CEO, Maria Anhalt, in an emailed statement to Automotive Dive. 'This will make collaborating with OEMs much simpler in the future.' The service-oriented architecture of the platform is intended to simplify the vehicle's software systems and functions by separating them into independent, reusable parts that each performs a specific task. This design offers a high level of interoperability and each component can communicate with other networked devices in the vehicle, regardless of their embedded programming language or hardware configurations. While the platform's reference E/E architecture will serve as a standardized framework, incorporating all of the vehicle's electronic hardware and software components. Adopting a zonal architecture reduces complexity and allows developers to more easily add software-based features and functionality to vehicles via over-the-air updates. A common reference architecture used by automakers today is AUTOSAR, which serves as an open, standardized and reusable software layer for the dozens of ECUs a modern vehicle may utilize. In addition, the platform will support hardware abstraction layers, allowing all higher-level applications to communicate with the rest of a vehicle's hardware components, such as ECUs and sensors. Further development of the platform will be supported by a continuous integration, testing and delivery (CI/CD) toolchain, as well as a Level 3 virtual environment, according to Elektrobit. The platform will also include a vehicle application program interface for third-party developers. 'OEMs determine the level of engagement they want from us as a partner, from contract design and manufacturing of multiple sub-systems, the complete E/E system with or without EV skateboard, up to a complete vehicle,' Anhalt said. 'This approach will enable OEMs to reduce total cost of ownership and allow them to expand their EV portfolios into new markets.' Foxconn is best known as Apple's primary contract manufacturer, assembling hundreds of millions of laptops, iPhones, iPads and other high-tech electronics over the years for the technology giant. But Foxconn has also been exploring partnerships with global automakers, which in the future may include production of an entire vehicle for an OEM. In July 2021, Foxconn established the 'Mobility in Harmony' Consortium, an open electric vehicle alliance with the primary goal of creating a standardized, open and modular platform for next-generation EVs, as well as developing autonomous driving systems and other mobility applications. In May 2022, Foxconn acquired GM's former Lordstown Assembly plant in Ohio from EV truck startup Lordstown Motors for $230 million, with plans to take over production of its Endurance electric pickup truck and establish an EV production hub in North America. However, Lordstown Motors filed for bankruptcy in June 2023 and the plans were canceled. 'Our collaboration with Foxconn is another milestone in the evolution of software-defined vehicles,' said Anhalt in the release. 'By combining Elektrobit's automotive software expertise with Foxconn's manufacturing and hardware innovation, we are creating a scalable platform that reduces complexity, shortens development cycles and supports future mobility business models.' At this early stage, Elektrobit has only announced the joint development agreement for the platform and no decisions have been made regarding its launch timeline or what customers might utilize it, according to a company spokesperson. Elektrobit is a wholly-owned, independently-operated subsidiary of Tier 1 supplier Continental. The company's automotive clients include Ford Motor Co., General Motors, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen Group and Volvo. Elektrobit software is installed in over 600 million vehicles worldwide, according to its website. In addition to its automotive customers, Elektrobit's premium industry partners include Google, Amazon and AWS, Qualcomm, Microsoft Azure, Infineon and Texas Instruments. Recommended Reading 'Break the silos': Software-defined vehicle development requires new approach Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
