How our latest acquisition advances our mission to protect life
At Axon, we continue to push ourselves to open new doors for public safety to serve their communities and maximize safe and effective crime prevention. Axon believes in being at the forefront of developing new resources as a force for good.
A key area emerging as a resource for public safety is the potential role of robotics in keeping communities secure. More specifically, we see growing interest in uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, as well as uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs). Today, the first line of response in public safety largely relies on human interaction, which poses threats in unknown circumstances. Uncrewed vehicles introduce a first line of situational awareness, and, in some cases, communication that can start the de-escalation process before requiring face-to-face human interactions where threats are present. Earlier this year, we said that we are committed to investing and advancing technology in this space because we know that robotics will play a key role in extending visibility and communications, and increasing situational awareness to save lives.
As we advance research and development in this space, we look first to those we serve. A key step in our process is finding the right tools and resources that can provide the highest value for public safety. How can we ensure public safety can effectively do their jobs while keeping both themselves and their communities safe? How can we make resources like UAVs and UGVs more readily available to our customers without compromising effectiveness and safety?
To advance these objectives, we recently acquired Sky-Hero, a leading Brussels-based innovator in tactical UAVs and UGVs, primarily focused on indoor use cases. Sky-Hero robots are currently used by elite tactical teams at leading law enforcement and military agencies around the world. The addition of Sky-Hero complements Axon’s category investments to date, allowing us to continue to grow and learn in this increasingly important de-escalation category.
Sky-Hero’s products will integrate over time into the Axon Air powered by DroneSense software platform, becoming Axon’s first suite of tactical uncrewed vehicles. These products will augment the existing Axon Air portfolio, which includes drone operations software and hardware from leading third-party providers and professional services.
The addition of Sky-Hero underscores Axon’s mission is to protect life. At the core of our efforts sits the belief that technology enables de-escalation to avoid lethal force. Sky-Hero is another key component that advances our moonshot goal to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in the next decade.
“Sky-Hero is driven to develop leading products that serve our customers so they can maintain safety and serve mission-critical needs within their communities,” said Yves Coppye, Founder of Sky-Hero. “Axon’s expertise in this market provides the ability to scale our products as a resource for public safety. Knowing that Sky-Hero’s comprehensive system of products can play a role in this monumental effort to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in the next 10 years in the US, and in Axon’s global efforts to protect life and obsolete the bullet, is incredibly motivating, and we are excited to join the Axon team.”
We look forward to continuing to partner with public safety agencies along this journey to advance robotic security with the ultimate goal to protect life. Stay tuned to our blog for future updates on robotic security initiatives and the role Sky-Hero will play within our overall portfolio and plans. Welcome to the mission, Sky-Hero team.