Interactive Aerial
Interactive Aerial builds robotic inspection systems (Zenith cable-suspended camera and Legacy One drone) for confined-space, GPS-denied industrial inspections, serving enterprise customers in power, petrochemical, pulp & paper, and municipal markets with hardware, software, and inspection services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTraverse, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Interactive Aerial does
Interactive Aerial is a US-based robotics company that builds inspection systems for confined-space, GPS-denied internal infrastructure. Founded in 2015 in Traverse City, Michigan by graduates of Northwestern Michigan College's UAS program, the company developed two core platforms: the Legacy One internal inspection drone (launched in 2015, featuring LIDAR-based navigation and a 42MP camera meeting API and ASME standards) and the Zenith cable-suspended inspection robotic system (production launch January 2020), which combines a smart winch, a patented CoaxDrive counter-rotating paddle heading-control system, a military-grade IMU, Hall-Effect depth sensors, and a 30x optical zoom / 4K / 18MP camera payload capable of detecting defects as small as 1/32 inch at distances up to 30 feet. Zenith descends up to 500 feet, runs for 2+ hours, and includes add-on payloads (LiDAR, lighting, thermal) along with a custom-configurable tripod to avoid confined-space entry.
The company's revenue model combines hardware sales (purchase and rental of Zenith and Legacy One), bundled Photo Measurement Software for quantitative defect tracking, and a professional inspection services team that operates equipment on customers' behalf. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; distribution is a mix of direct enterprise field sales out of Webster, TX, a global distributor network (including partners in Australia), and an IA Customer Portal for existing customers. Customers are enterprise industrial firms across power generation (an unnamed top U.S. power company, OPPD, Covanta, Peoples Gas), petrochemical and chemical processing (Dow, DuPont), pulp and paper (ADM, Sappi), consumer goods (Procter & Gamble), maritime, and municipal infrastructure, with anchor use cases in boilers, tanks, vessels, silos, vertical shafts, and stacks where scaffolding and human confined-space entry have traditionally driven inspection cost and safety risk. The company had approximately 10 employees as of late 2020, operates manufacturing and R&D in Traverse City, MI, and has received the Traverse Connect Scale Up North Emerging Business Award (2020).
Interactive Aerial firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Interactive Aerial
- Legal name
- Interactive Aerial, Inc.
- Website
- https://interactiveaerial.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Interactive Aerial builds robotic inspection systems (Zenith cable-suspended camera and Legacy One drone) for confined-space, GPS-denied industrial inspections, serving enterprise customers in power, petrochemical, pulp & paper, and municipal markets with hardware, software, and inspection services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Interactive Aerial industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Inspection Robotics
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy) (HDAAAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH), UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)
Keywords
Where Interactive Aerial is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Traverse
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Interactive Aerial business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales (Zenith and Legacy One): Interactive Aerial manufactures and sells proprietary inspection robotics systems including the Zenith cable-suspended camera and the Legacy One drone. Products are sold directly and through distributors globally.
- Rental Programs: Both Zenith and Legacy One are available for rent, with the inspection software included whether customers rent or buy. This provides a lower barrier to entry and supports one-time inspection needs.
- Inspection Services: Interactive Aerial's experienced pilots and inspection service team conduct inspections on behalf of customers for one-time inspection needs or to demonstrate the value of robotics to management teams.
- Software (Photo Measurement Software): Photo measurement software is included with purchase or rental of hardware but is also available separately. Provides quantitative defect analysis and tracking capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Zenith Purchase |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Zenith Rental |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Legacy One Purchase |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Inspection Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Interactive Aerial product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Interactive Aerial designs, manufactures, and operates unmanned aerial data acquisition robotics used to perform internal inspections of industrial confined spaces such as storage tanks, vessels, and other enclosed assets. The company sells hardware (e.g., the Zenith cable-suspended inspection robot and the Legacy One internal inspection drone), offers inspection services performed by its own technicians, and licenses a Photo Measurement Software application for processing imagery captured by its systems.
Product overview
Interactive Aerial offers a portfolio of robotic inspection systems for internal confined space environments, including the Zenith drop camera system (descending up to 500ft via cable) and the Legacy One Gen2 drone for large asset inspections. Both products integrate with the company's Photo Measurement Software for defect quantification and growth tracking. The ecosystem supports add-on payloads including LiDAR scanners, enhanced lighting, and thermal cameras. Products are available for purchase, rental, or via the company's inspection service team.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Zenith: Next-generation confined space inspection robotic system that descends up to 500ft via cable and winch, featuring 30x optical zoom with 4K video and 18MP photos, designed for vertical asset inspections.
- Legacy One
- Photo Measurement Software
Products and services
- Zenith Inspection Robot A cable-suspended unmanned aerial data acquisition robot designed to enter confined industrial spaces through small openings and conduct automated internal inspections while remaining tethered for power and data. It is targeted at industrial asset owners needing tank, vessel, and silo inspections without sending personnel into hazardous spaces.
- Legacy One Internal Inspection Drone An internal industrial inspection drone used to perform inspections inside confined and GPS-denied industrial environments such as storage tanks, vessels, and other enclosed assets. It is sold to industrial operators seeking an unmanned alternative to human entry for internal visual and data inspections.
- Photo Measurement Software A proprietary software application that processes imagery and measurement data captured by Interactive Aerial's inspection robots, allowing users to analyze, measure, and document conditions inside inspected assets. It is offered as part of the company's product portfolio.
- Interactive Aerial Inspection Services A service offering in which Interactive Aerial's technicians perform on-site industrial confined space inspections using the company's robotic systems, delivering inspection data and reports to the asset owner. It is offered to industrial customers who prefer outsourced inspection execution.
Companies that use Interactive Aerial
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Interactive Aerial technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature7 records
Interactive Aerial partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SPRINT Robotics CollaborativeminorInteractive Aerial is a proud participant in the SPRINT Robotics Collaborative, an industry-driven initiative promoting the development, availability, and application of robotics techniques in technical inspections and maintenance. This membership connects Interactive Aerial with the broader robotics inspection industry ecosystem.
- NexxiscoreNexxis is listed as a partner site alongside Interactive Aerial, suggesting a distribution or reseller relationship. Nexxis is based in Australia, indicating Interactive Aerial's reach into the Australian market through this channel partner.
- SixDecoreSixDe is listed as a partner site alongside Interactive Aerial. Based in Australia alongside Nexxis, SixDe appears to serve as an additional channel partner or distributor for Interactive Aerial products in the Australian region.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Interactive Aerial competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Emesent: Australia-based provider of the Hovermap LiDAR payload and autonomous SLAM software for indoor drone operations in GPS-denied environments. Already a known integration partner of Interactive Aerial and competes for the same confined-space inspection workflow.
- Percepto: Provider of autonomous drone-in-a-box solutions for industrial site inspection and monitoring, including confined-space assets in energy and heavy industry. Competes for the same enterprise inspection budgets as Interactive Aerial.
- Flyability: Swiss maker of the Elios series of caged indoor inspection drones designed for confined spaces such as tanks, boilers, and vessels. Directly competes with Interactive Aerial in industrial indoor inspection, though Flyability's platform is free-flying rather than cable-suspended.
- ANYbotics: Swiss developer of ANYmal, an autonomous legged robot used for industrial inspection of complex assets in refineries, power plants, and chemical facilities. Targets the same confined-space and hazardous-environment inspection use cases as Interactive Aerial, with a different mobility form factor.
- Energy Robotics: Provider of an autonomous inspection software and hardware platform combining robots and drones for oil & gas, chemical, and power customers. Competes for the same robotic inspection budgets as Interactive Aerial, particularly in European heavy-asset operators.
- ExRobotics: Developer of explosion-proof autonomous inspection robots for hazardous industrial environments in oil & gas and chemicals. Targets overlapping use cases with Interactive Aerial's Legacy One in petrochemical and chemical facilities.
Broad incumbents
- Boston Dynamics: Maker of Spot, a quadruped robot increasingly deployed for industrial inspection in power, oil & gas, and manufacturing. A broader, well-capitalized incumbent whose enterprise inspection footprint overlaps Interactive Aerial's verticals even though Spot is legged rather than aerial or cable-suspended.
- Skydio: U.S. autonomous drone manufacturer expanding from public safety and inspection into enterprise industrial use cases. A broader incumbent with significantly more capital and brand recognition that could compete with Interactive Aerial in indoor and asset-inspection workflows.
- DJI Enterprise: Enterprise arm of the world's largest drone manufacturer, offering industrial inspection drones (e.g., Matrice series) for power, oil & gas, and infrastructure inspection. A broad incumbent that could price-compete with Interactive Aerial's Legacy One, although it does not currently match Zenith's cable-suspended architecture.
Others
- Sprint Robotics: Industry collaborative of which Interactive Aerial is a member, promoting robotics in technical inspection and maintenance. Not a competitor but an ecosystem convener that connects Interactive Aerial with peers, end users, and standards bodies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Interactive Aerial social profiles
Digital presenceInteractive Aerial financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Interactive Aerial leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Interactive Aerial funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Interactive Aerial 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 Interactive Aerial
What does Interactive Aerial do?
Interactive Aerial designs, manufactures, and operates unmanned aerial data acquisition robotics used to perform internal inspections of industrial confined spaces such as storage tanks, vessels, and other enclosed assets. The company sells hardware (e.g., the Zenith cable-suspended inspection robot and the Legacy One internal inspection drone), offers inspection services performed by its own technicians, and licenses a Photo Measurement Software application for processing imagery captured by its systems.
Is Interactive Aerial a public or private company?
Interactive Aerial is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Interactive Aerial founded?
Interactive Aerial was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Interactive Aerial based?
Interactive Aerial is headquartered in Traverse, United States, in the North America region.
How does Interactive Aerial make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales (Zenith and Legacy One) is the primary driver. The others are rental Programs, inspection Services and software (Photo Measurement Software).
Who are Interactive Aerial's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Emesent, Percepto, Flyability, ANYbotics, Energy Robotics and ExRobotics. Broad incumbents are Boston Dynamics, Skydio and DJI Enterprise. Sprint Robotics is listed as an others.
Does Interactive Aerial have an API?
No public API is recorded for Interactive Aerial.
What industry is Interactive Aerial in?
Interactive Aerial's product category is Industrial Inspection Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAIAG, Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy), with a secondary code of IMABAIAH, Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.