Halifax-based SkySquirrel has raised $3 million and announced a merger with California-based VineView, another aerial imaging and crop diagnostics for vineyards.
Richard van der Put, SkySquirrel’s founder and CEO, will remain as CEO of the new combined company.
The two companies plan to begin integrating operations, customers, global partners, and employees immediately, and the company will be headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with international operations in Napa Valley, California, and Toulouse, France. The combined company, which will operate under the name VineView, uses drone and airplane-based hyperspectral imagery to provide wine growers with essential information about the health of their grapevines.
Richard van der Put, SkySquirrel’s founder and CEO, will remain as CEO of the new combined company, and Dr. Matthew Staid, former President of VineView and a lead scientist NASA projects, will serve as the company’s chief scientific officer.
“With Matt’s R&D leadership, the talented teams we have built, combined with VineView’s strong industry knowledge and our technological expertise, we are confident in our ability to seize the position as global market leader in the vineyard space,” said Van der Put. “This merger will further enhance how we work with our global partners, and solidify our ability to meet the needs of our customers.”
SkySquirrel’s funding round included a $2 million investment from an Ontario-based private investor and $1 million from Innovacorp.
“After working in partnership with Richard and his team for the past few years, we are excited to officially join forces with SkySquirrel and combine our two companies,” said Staid. “Together we will be able to scale globally and offer our customers enhanced data solutions.”