Terra Drone Corporation buys major stake in Australian industry innovator, C4D Intel Pty Ltd.
Tokyo, Dec. 10 – Terra Drone Corporation (Shibuya-ku Tokyo CEO Toru Tokushige following as Terra Drone) is poised to strengthen and expand its global reach and services after announcing a significant equity investment in Australian firm, C4D Intel Pty Ltd.
The move by Terra Drone is the latest of the company’s investments into leading drone technology businesses across the globe and demonstrates the Japanese company’s commitment to the Australian market.
Analysts predict that that market for data acquisition using airborne vehicles (unmanned and manned) and satellite and terrestrial sensors is set to grow ten-fold over the next decade. C4D Intel’s experience in mining, oil and gas and infrastructure expands Terra Drone’s access to a range of high profile clients helping it to take advantage of this tremendous market growth opportunity.
C4D Intel Managing Director Alistair Scott-Farris said, “This investment presents an opportunity for us to leverage Terra Drone’s expansive international network, technology and experience to propel our growth both within Australia and internationally, particularly in South-East Asia. We are excited to be partnering with Terra Drone and look forward to expanding our capabilities and service offering with the support of the larger Terra Drone group. Our customers will benefit greatly from the access to innovative new technologies that this transaction will enable”.
Terra Drone CEO Toru Tokushige said, “There is a strong interest in using technology to revolutionise the way business is done in Australia. This investment is a strategic move to advance our global footprint, by providing Australian companies access to innovative technology and services that improve safety, productivity and return on investment”.
C4D Intel together with Terra Drone will immediately start to offer UAV based LiDAR data acquisition to Australian customers to complement the high end photogrammetry services it already provides. Terra Drone has significant experience with LiDAR, having conducted over 300 LiDAR- related projects. LiDAR has better conformance than photogrammetry and is particularly useful for modelling narrow objects such as transmission lines, pipelines, sharp edges and complex infrastructure such as power stations and processing plants. LiDAR is also useful in obtaining ground elevation data where dense vegetation exists, such as natural landscapes, forests and roadsides.
Terra Drone will also provide C4D Intel with Robotic Batonomous Systems ideal for mapping or scanning in GPS denied environments such as in underground mining and inside buildings. Terra Drone Japan gained access to this innovative technology through its investment in Swedish aerial robotics business Inkonova AB.
As part of the deal it is expected that C4D Intel will change its name to Terra Drone Australia in Q1 2019.
■TERRA DRONE CORPORATION
Terra Drone Corporation is an industry-leading drone company established in 2016. Their head office is located in Tokyo, Japan, with 10 branches throughout Japan, APEC, EU, Africa, North America, and Latin America. With a focus on the mining sector, the Company provides essential tools for construction, energy generation, oil and gas, using the latest drone based LiDAR and photogrammetry surveying methods. Terra Drone specialises in commercial hardware, cutting-edge software and service and drone management systems (UTM). For more information, visit www.terra-drone.net.
■C4D INTEL
Founded in 2016, C4D Intel Pty Ltd is an industry innovation leader dedicated to providing cost effective spatial and temporal data acquisition, advanced data processing and decision analytics to its customers. The company specialises in enterprise grade surveying and asset inspections predominately using unmanned and autonomous vehicles. The company has a diverse client base across the mining, oil and gas, power and forestry industries in Western Australia. For more information visit www.c4dintel.com.au.