FlyGuys

What FlyGuys does

FlyGuys, Inc. operates a cloud-based online marketplace that connects enterprise data-seekers with a nationwide network of over 20,000 FAA-certified drone pilots for aerial reality-data capture. The proprietary platform automates pilot matching based on location, experience, and project requirements; issues micro-contracts; coordinates missions; and delivers processed outputs in formats such as LAS/LAZ point clouds, orthomosaic imagery, DEMs/DSMs/DTMs, thermal imaging, and 3D models. Core service lines include aerial imaging, LiDAR, surveying and mapping, inspections (rooftops, cell towers, wind turbines, industrial stacks), consulting, volumetrics, and marketing/media production, supported by specialized LiDAR post-processing tools. Revenue is generated via marketplace transaction commissions on completed jobs and professional-services fees for full-service data capture, with unit pricing anchored around ~$6,500 all-inclusive for LiDAR projects (500 acres/day capability) and ~$100/hour baseline for pilot services.

The company sells across multiple verticals — construction/architecture/engineering, agriculture, energy, industrial, telecommunications, real estate/insurance, emergency/disaster, mining, and transmission/distribution — using a horizontal segmentation approach that contrasts with vertically-narrowed competitors. Go-to-market combines a self-serve online marketplace with a direct enterprise sales motion for larger accounts, supplemented by an ecosystem of technology and channel partners (DroneDeploy, Raptor Maps, Taranis, TrueLook, Loveland Innovations, EagleView, Optelos, PosiGen, Thread, Hitachi, L3Harris, Black & Veatch, Graycor, FlyRoute). Headquartered at 221 Jefferson Street in Lafayette, Louisiana, FlyGuys is venture-backed (Advantage Capital, Mitchell Capital, Kevin O'Leary's Wonder Fund) with cumulative disclosed funding of roughly $31M across rounds from 2019 through 2025, and reports revenue of $10M in 2024 with management targeting $100M within five years.

The executive team is anchored by CEO and Executive Chairman Joe Stough, a former Waitr executive, with operating leadership drawn heavily from that same network (CFO Evan Diaz de Arce and VP of Marketing Whitney Savoie are both Waitr alumni), and domain expertise from COO DaCoda Bartels, a commercial helicopter pilot turned drone-services founder. The company has been recognized on Inc. 5000 and the Inc. Regionals: Southeast list (ranked No. 36 in 2026, climbing from No. 97 in 2025) and maintains a content engine (blog, podcast) that supports thought leadership across the verticals it serves.

Name

FlyGuys

Legal name

FlyGuys, Inc.

Website

https://flyguys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FlyGuys operates a cloud-based marketplace that connects enterprise data-seekers with a nationwide network of over 20,000 FAA-certified drone pilots, delivering LiDAR, aerial imaging, surveying, inspection, and volumetrics services across construction, agriculture, energy, and industrial verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Services Marketplace

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Drone/UAS Application Services (Spraying, Spreading, Seeding) (AFACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)

Keywords

• Drone aerial imaging
• LiDAR data capture
• Drone pilot marketplace
• Aerial surveying mapping
• Reality data services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Drone Services Marketplace: FlyGuys operates as an online marketplace connecting data-seekers with drone pilots. The platform takes a commission or transaction fee for matching pilots with clients and coordinating drone data capture missions. Revenue comes from service fees on completed drone data collection jobs.
2. Premium Drone Services: Full-service drone data capture including LiDAR, aerial imaging, surveying/mapping, inspections, consulting, and volumetrics. Services are quoted based on project requirements and delivered by certified pilots through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

FlyGuys operates a cloud-based online marketplace that connects enterprises needing aerial reality data with a nationwide network of over 20,000 FAA-certified drone pilots. The company delivers drone-based services including aerial imaging, LiDAR, surveying and mapping, inspections, consulting, volumetrics, and marketing/media through its proprietary mission management platform that automates pilot matching and coordinates missions via micro-contracts.

Product overview

FlyGuys operates a cloud-based online marketplace platform that connects data-seekers with a nationwide network of over 20,000 FAA-certified drone pilots for reality data capture services. The core offering includes drone-based Aerial Imaging, LiDAR, Surveying & Mapping, Inspections, Consulting, Volumetrics, and Marketing & Media services. The proprietary software platform automates pilot matching based on location and experience, handles mission coordination through micro-contracts, and delivers processed data to customers. FlyGuys also produces educational content through its 'Reality: Behind the Flight' podcast. The company serves diverse industries including construction, agriculture, energy, industrial, emergency/disaster, real estate/insurance, and infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerial Imaging Drone-based video, still, and thermal image capture expertly packaged in immediately usable formats for industries including construction, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure.
• LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology offering high accuracy in capturing physical environments, providing versatile applications and deliverables for surveyors and engineering firms. Pricing around $6,500 all-inclusive with capability to collect 500 acres per day.
• Surveying & Mapping Drone-based terrain scanning for mountainous, icy, and wildlife-sensitive areas, creating safer environments for survey teams with detailed mapping capabilities.
• Inspections Remote inspections of pitched roofs, industrial stacks, cell towers, wind turbines, hazardous waste sites, and emergency situations without sending human personnel.
• Consulting Expert consulting services to help businesses launch drone programs, ensuring cost-efficiency, regulatory compliance (FAA Part 107/108), and safety.
• Volumetrics Remote sensing techniques to measure, model, and analyze material volume for construction aggregates, concrete, gravel, sand, and other materials.
• Marketing & Media Professional, broadcast-quality video production with captivating aerial visuals for marketing and media purposes.
• Online Marketplace Platform Proprietary cloud-based software platform connecting data-seekers with over 20,000 FAA-certified drone pilots nationwide. AI platform matches pilots based on location and experience, obtains commitments through micro-contracts, and coordinates missions. Includes customer ordering portal and pilot portal for job notifications and data upload.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue growth from $3.9M (2023) to $10M (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026FlyGuys returned as partner for the second annual Elevate Scholarship Program, offering 300 scholarships covering the $175 FAA Part 107 remote pilot certification test fee for students ages 16-24 enrolled in aviation or uncrewed systems programs.
• FlyRouteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlyRoute provides professional drone services and online training to athletic programs. Through partnership with FlyGuys, FlyRoute expands its reach by leveraging FlyGuys' network of certified drone pilots for consistent aerial footage.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DroneDeploy: DroneDeploy is a leading drone data platform for mapping, inspections, and analytics across construction, agriculture, and energy. It is a direct peer in reality-data capture and is also listed as a partner of FlyGuys, indicating overlapping customer bases and collaborative rather than purely competitive dynamics.
• PrecisionHawk: PrecisionHawk provides drone-based data acquisition and analytics, historically strong in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. Comparable to FlyGuys in offering reality-data services and analytics across multiple verticals using drone fleets.
• Pix4D: Pix4D is a photogrammetry software platform that converts drone imagery into 2D maps and 3D models. Comparable to FlyGuys in the data-processing and reality-capture stack, particularly for surveying and mapping customers.
• Measure (now part of AgEagle): Measure provided enterprise drone services and program management for industries including telecom, construction, and energy. Direct peer to FlyGuys in offering outsourced, enterprise-grade drone data capture and program services.

Broad incumbents

• Skyward (a Verizon company): Skyward, acquired by Verizon, offers a drone operations management platform for enterprises. It is a broader incumbent in drone program management, with overlapping enterprise customers but a more operations-management rather than data-capture focus than FlyGuys.
• Skydio: Skydio is a leading US-based autonomous drone manufacturer serving enterprise inspection, public safety, and construction. Comparable as a broader incumbent whose drones are used by FlyGuys pilots, and which competes with FlyGuys in enterprise drone-data capture for inspection.

Emerging players

• Raptor Maps: Raptor Maps is a solar asset management software platform that uses drone data for inspection and analytics. Comparable to FlyGuys as both a partner and emerging competitor in the drone-powered solar vertical, where it owns more of the analytical layer.
• Loveland Innovations: Loveland Innovations builds the IMGING platform for property and roof inspections using drones and AI. Listed as a FlyGuys partner, it represents an emerging vertical player with overlapping inspection use cases and its own pilot network expansion needs.
• Taranis: Taranis provides AI-powered precision agriculture intelligence using aerial imagery. Comparable to FlyGuys as both a partner and emerging competitor in the agriculture vertical, where Taranis owns the analytics layer and relies on aerial capture infrastructure.

Others

• DJI: DJI is the dominant global commercial drone manufacturer. Relevant as a hardware ecosystem enabler for FlyGuys pilots and an indirect adjacent player; does not directly compete in the services marketplace but its hardware decisions shape FlyGuys' supply and cost structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flyguysio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3VpZTr-FddUcjtF8UWSkcQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/FlyGuys.DroneServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flyguys.io
• Instagraminstagram.com/flyguys_2.0

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FlyGuys