VentureLabs member company Spexi is building the world’s largest drone powered aerial imaging network, utilizing a decentralized system of pilots to deliver timely, high-resolution geospatial data at scale. Their mission is to make real-time aerial insights accessible for a wide range of applications, from emergency response to AI-driven environmental monitoring.

“Aircraft and satellite imaging were too slow and expensive for the demand of businesses needing access to this data. We knew drones were the key to not only unlocking clearer and faster images, but a way to provide this data faster and at scale … Spexi was born from the idea that this entire system could be reimagined as a decentralized network, where drone pilots can contribute to a bigger mission for organizations to access reliable aerial data.” – Bill Lakeland, CEO of Spexi

Spexi’s data is already powering diverse use cases, including smart city planning, environmental risk mitigation, and emergency preparedness. Their work has supported Canadian research teams in training AI models to identify fire risks and assess damage caused by landslides in British Columbia.

“Industries are moving from reactive to proactive decision-making and aerial data is a big part of that shift. With platforms like ours, businesses and governments don’t have to wait for an issue to become visible through extensive reports or on-the-ground monitoring. They can monitor change in near real-time, spot patterns earlier, and take action before small problems become big ones.” – Bill Lakeland, CEO of Spexi

As one of Canada’s leading voices in drone-based geospatial intelligence, Spexi is not only empowering local drone pilots, but also transforming how businesses and governments make decisions at scale.

Read the full article to learn more about how Spexi is shaping the future of geospatial data: https://techcouver.com/2025/05/28/how-spexi-is-building-the-worlds-largest-aerial-imaging-network-from-vancouver/