RIIS
RIIS is a Troy, Michigan-based professional services firm that builds custom drone software, mobile apps, and AI/ML integrations for commercial, agricultural, and defense drone clients, leveraging expertise across PX4/ArduPilot, DJI platforms, and OpenAI-based agentic workflows.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersTroy, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RIIS does
RIIS LLC is a Troy, Michigan-based professional services firm founded in 1998 by Godfrey Nolan. The company delivers custom software development, mobile applications, web platforms, and AI/ML integration services, with a pronounced specialization in autonomous and unmanned aerial systems. RIIS operates as a Dronecode Foundation Silver Member and builds across the open-source PX4/ArduPilot ecosystem, the DJI developer platform (including YOLOv8 model deployment on the Matrice 4E), ATAK plugin development for defense and public-safety use cases, and voice- and agent-AI integrations on top of OpenAI, ElevenLabs, and MCP. Revenue is generated exclusively through project-based professional services engagements on a multi-year contract cadence, with no productized, recurring-revenue offering; pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed. The company serves 40+ drone-technology clients across commercial, agricultural, defense, and enterprise verticals (named customers include Aerodome, Teal Drones, Parrot, Skyward/Verizon, Rantizo, Darkhive, Mapware, and Web3Renewables). RIIS maintains SOC 2 Type 1 compliance (May 2024), won the NIST Shields Up! UAS cybersecurity challenge (May 2022), and pursues thought leadership via technical blogs, video tutorials, and the Drone Software Meetup community. The firm remains founder-led, privately held, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.
RIIS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RIIS
- Legal name
- RIIS LLC
- Website
- https://riis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- RIIS is a Troy, Michigan-based professional services firm that builds custom drone software, mobile apps, and AI/ML integrations for commercial, agricultural, and defense drone clients, leveraging expertise across PX4/ArduPilot, DJI platforms, and OpenAI-based agentic workflows.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RIIS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Software Development Services
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- ERP, CRM & Enterprise Applications Consulting (BPAHAEAI)
Keywords
Where RIIS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Troy
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
RIIS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Mobile App Development: RIIS provides custom mobile app development services, including Android and iOS applications for drone control, AI integration, and enterprise clients. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements.
- Professional Services - Web Development: RIIS delivers custom web development services for clients in drone technology, financial services, healthcare, telecom, and automotive industries.
- Drone Technology Consulting: Consulting services focused on drone technology solutions including enterprise-level features, security solutions, SDK integrations, and custom software solutions for the drone industry.
- AI/ML Integration Services: Services leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to maximize results for clients, including custom model deployment, OpenAI integration, and voice AI implementations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom professional services engagements |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
RIIS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RIIS provides custom professional services including mobile app development, web development, drone technology consulting, and AI/ML integration. The firm specializes in bridging development gaps for drone manufacturers and technology companies by supplying skilled team members and delivering complete custom software solutions across mobile, web, drone, and AI platforms.
Product overview
RIIS is a technology and consulting firm specializing in advanced drone technology solutions and AI applications. The company offers custom software development services including mobile app development, web development, and professional consulting. Their portfolio includes client-focused projects such as the Skyward mobile application for drone operations management, the Teal Drones ground control system UI, and the Web3Renewables blockchain platform for green energy credits. RIIS provides educational content and tutorials on drone technologies (ArduPilot Lua scripting, DJI Matrice 4E ML deployment, ATAK plugin development), AI integration (OpenAI function calling, RAG, fine-tuning, MCP servers), and voice-enabled applications. The company has served over 40 drone technology clients and maintains expertise across PX4/ArduPilot ecosystems, mobile development, and AI/ML implementation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mobile App Development Services Custom Android and iOS application development for drone control, AI integration, and enterprise clients, delivered as project-based professional services.
- Web Development Services Custom web development services for clients across drone technology, financial services, healthcare, telecom, and automotive industries, delivered as scoped projects.
- Drone Technology Consulting Consulting services focused on drone technology solutions including enterprise-level features, security solutions, SDK integrations, and custom software for the drone industry.
- AI/ML Integration Services Professional services leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, including custom model deployment, OpenAI integration, voice AI implementations, and MCP server development for clients.
- Staff Augmentation Services Skilled developer augmentation providing specialized team members to client engineering teams to bridge development gaps in drone technology, AI/ML, and mobile/web development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Accelerated product delivery - clients report getting better products to market faster through RIIS partnership
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use RIIS
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RIIS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability13 records
Feature9 records
RIIS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Dronecode FoundationcoreRIIS joined the Dronecode Foundation as a Silver Member in January 2025. The partnership involves bringing expertise in the PX4 ecosystem to advance open-source drone technologies and foster innovation. This aligns with RIIS's focus on drone technology solutions and open-source platform expertise.
- ParrotcoreParrot, the leading European drone group, partnered with RIIS to develop custom AI applications for the ANAFI drone platform. Companies created innovative solutions to complex problems for enterprise users, focusing on AI and computer vision technology combined with drone data capture. Joint whitepaper released with step-by-step instructions for adding AI to the ANAFI drone using Parrot's open-source Ground SDK. Partnership included development of Cattle Counter application for automated cattle counting from drone footage.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RIIS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DroneDeploy: Drone data capture and analytics platform serving enterprise drone programs across construction, agriculture, and inspection. Comparable as a drone-software specialist targeting the same commercial UAS buyer profile.
- FlytBase: Drone autonomy and docking software platform targeting enterprise and security integrators. Comparable as a drone-software-focused firm competing for integration and customization work in the same buyer segment.
- AirData UAV: Drone fleet management, flight logging, and compliance software. Direct peer in the drone software stack, addressing the operational layer for commercial drone programs that RIIS's clients also need.
- Auterion: Open-source drone software platform built on PX4. Auterion is the closest direct competitor in PX4-based drone autonomy and AI mission management, serving many of the same enterprise and defense drone OEMs that RIIS builds custom solutions for.
- Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk): Airspace management and UTM platform for commercial drone operations. Direct overlap with the LAANC / drone program management work RIIS delivered for Skyward/Verizon Robotics.
Broad incumbents
- Parrot: European drone manufacturer and existing RIIS partner. Comparable as a major OEM with its own SDK and AI programs; competes for the same enterprise drone software engagements at a much larger scale.
- Skydio: Leading US drone manufacturer with autonomy software stack. A broader incumbent whose software and integration ecosystem competes for the same enterprise and public-safety drone program budgets RIIS serves.
Emerging players
- Exyn Technologies: Autonomous drone software for GPS-denied and indoor environments. Comparable as a drone autonomy / AI software specialist targeting enterprise and defense applications.
- Sentera: Drone sensors and analytics for agriculture and inspection. Comparable niche focus on drone-based data capture and analysis for enterprise buyers.
- PrecisionHawk: Drone data and analytics platform serving commercial drone operators. Partial overlap in serving enterprise drone programs with software and analytics deliverables.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RIIS social profiles
Digital presenceRIIS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
RIIS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RIIS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RIIS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RIIS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RIIS
What does RIIS do?
RIIS provides custom professional services including mobile app development, web development, drone technology consulting, and AI/ML integration. The firm specializes in bridging development gaps for drone manufacturers and technology companies by supplying skilled team members and delivering complete custom software solutions across mobile, web, drone, and AI platforms.
Is RIIS a public or private company?
RIIS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RIIS founded?
RIIS was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is RIIS based?
RIIS is headquartered in Troy, United States, in the North America region.
How does RIIS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Professional Services - Mobile App Development is the primary driver. The others are professional Services - Web Development, drone Technology Consulting and AI/ML Integration Services.
Who are RIIS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DroneDeploy, FlytBase, AirData UAV, Auterion and Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk). Broad incumbents are Parrot and Skydio. Emerging players are Exyn Technologies, Sentera and PrecisionHawk.
Does RIIS have an API?
No public API is recorded for RIIS.
What industry is RIIS in?
RIIS's product category is Custom Software Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAH, Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV), with a secondary code of BPAHAEAI, ERP, CRM & Enterprise Applications Consulting. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7371.