Pitch Aeronautics (Techstars 2023) is a Boise-based technology company revolutionizing how utility companies manage their infrastructure through a vertically integrated tech stack that combines robotics, specialized hardware, and AI-enabled software. By using custom drones to deploy sensors directly onto energized power lines, they provide hyper-localized weather intelligence that helps prevent wildfires and increases the capacity of the aging U.S. electrical grid.

Emilie Vallauri, Global Program Manager at Techstars, sat down with Ian Gibson, COO and co-founder, to discuss the company’s transition from a research project to a mission-critical utility partner and the unique challenges of building a hardware-heavy business in a software-driven world.

Emilie Vallauri: To start off, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your path to founding Pitch Aero?

Ian Gibson: My path is a bit unconventional. I started my career in the Air Force as an acquisition officer managing teams to develop cutting-edge technology. After five years, I moved into the startup world, eventually serving as the COO for a software company called Skyward Federal. In 2023, I left that role to join Pitch Aero full-time, coinciding with our entry into the Techstars program. Right now, as COO, I focus on everything from internal operations to business development and scaling our sales processes.

Emilie: Who are the other members of the founding team, and how did the company get started?

Ian: My co-founder is Zach Adams, our CEO. We were classmates at the Air Force Academy. The company actually began with Zach’s PhD thesis on a unique drone propulsion technology called the cyclorotor. Zach reached out to me because he didn't want his research to die in academia; he wanted to see it applied in the real world. He’s an engineer through and through, providing the technical vision for our team of 13 employees, while I bring the operational and business side.

Emilie: In simple terms, what does Pitch Aero do and why is it important for utilities?

Ian: We provide AI-enabled weather insights for utility customers. Utilities are incredibly weather-sensitive; wind and temperature affect everything from power line capacity to wildfire risk and worker safety. Most utilities rely on national weather forecasts, which aren't granular enough for operational decisions. We use our drone platform to deploy sensors directly onto utility lines to collect "truth data" at source, then use machine learning to deliver a high-resolution, statistical forecast that is actually usable for grid operations.

Emilie: You have a very specific set of products with some catchy names. Can you walk us through the tech stack?

Ian: We are big fans of alliteration! Here is how the stack works:

• Astria: This is our unique drone platform. It’s designed to perform "touch-based" tasks, meaning it can fly right up to a line and stay stable enough to install equipment.

• WireWarrior: Our line-mounted sensor and weather station that the drone installs.

• WireWeather: The software tool that uses machine learning to fuse national weather forecasts with sensor data to provide statistics and high-resolution insights.

• FeatherFender: Our first product to market, a bird diverter that makes lines more visible to birds to prevent collisions, outages and wildfires.

Emilie: What sets Pitch Aero apart from other drone or sensor companies?

Ian: Many competitors use sensors to infer weather through line vibration, but we take direct wind and weather measurements at line height, allowing for a far more accurate and representative measurement. Our full end-to-end solution leverages a hybrid model where we deploy sensors and hardware only where needed, and cover the remaining gaps with software. Importantly, our drone is US-made, designed and manufactured here. That’s critical because many utilities have banned foreign-made drones due to cybersecurity concerns, which gives us a major competitive edge.

Emilie: You’ve achieved a lot since the end of the Techstars accelerator. What has been your proudest milestone so far?

Ian: We’ve landed over $5 million in contracts through a mix of government R&D and commercial projects. Recently, we became SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, which is a massive cybersecurity lift that many of our competitors haven’t accomplished.

Another big one is our project with the Department of Energy and Idaho Power. It will likely be the largest deployment of dynamic line ratings in the U.S. at completion. We’ve also completed field operations across six different states and have projects with several large investor-owned utilities.

Emilie: Are you also currently working with Alabama Power [i.e., the corporate partner for the Techstars accelerator Pitch Aeronautics participated in]?

Ian: Yes, we have an ongoing pilot project with APC. We’ve finished the product testing phase and have deployed our software across their entire network. In the next few months, our crews will go out to Alabama to install our sensors on their transmission lines.

Emilie: It’s not easy being a founder. What motivates you to keep going on the hard days?

Ian: I love the startup environment because you have control over your own destiny and can move incredibly fast compared to a big bureaucracy. But beyond that, it’s the magnitude of the problems we are solving. The U.S. grid infrastructure is aging, and the DOE says we have to double transmission capacity in the next 10 years. Knowing we are playing a role in grid reliability and wildfire prevention makes the "roller coaster" of founding a company worth it.

Emilie: What advice would you give to aspiring founders in the energy tech space?

Ian: First, partnerships are everything. Don't be afraid to partner with companies that might seem like competitors; find ways to tackle challenges together. Second, leverage non-dilutive funding. There is massive interest at the federal level in solving energy problems, and R&D grants are a great alternative to private capital for building out and demonstrating your technology.

Emilie: Why did you decide to participate in Techstars, and how did it help?

Ian: The choice was driven by the partnership with Alabama Power. Because they were integral to the program, we had unfettered access to their engineers. That honest feedback helped guide our technology and strategy decisions. Beyond that, the enduring impact has been the mentor network that opened doors to other utilities and vendors.

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