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Zeitview

Category: AI in Climate / Energy

A global leader in visual AI and asset intelligence that provides advanced inspection software and data analytics for critical infrastructure using drones, crewed aircraft, and ground-based sensors. Zeitview was founded in 2014. The company is led by Dan Burton. Based in Santa Monica, USA. Team size: 500+. Total funding raised: $179.0M. Latest round: Series E ($60.0M, Mar 2025). Key investors include Climate Investment, Valor Equity Partners, Union Square Ventures, Upfront Ventures, Euclidean Capital, Energy Transition Ventures, Hearst Ventures, Y Combinator.

Founded
2014
Headquarters
Santa Monica, USA
Team size
500+
Total funding
$179.0M

Value proposition

Transforms raw aerial and thermal imagery into actionable 'Asset Intelligence,' enabling customers to identify specific defects, predict risks, and prioritize maintenance to improve ROI and asset longevity.

Products and solutions

Solar Insights (AI-powered solar plant health monitoring), Wind Turbine Inspection & Analytics, Utility & Electric Grid Inspection (Transmission & Distribution), Methane Emissions Detection (InsightM integration), Property & Real Estate Visual Inspections, Zeitview Data Platform (Unified visual AI analytics dashboard)

Unique value

Successfully pivoted from a drone pilot marketplace (formerly DroneBase) to a full-stack 'Asset Intelligence' partner that owns the entire data value chain from capture to AI-driven defect diagnosis.

Target customer

Enterprise asset owners, operators, and maintenance providers (O&M) in renewable energy, utility grid managers, oil and gas companies, and insurance carriers.

Industries served

Renewable Energy (Solar & Wind), Utilities & Power Distribution, Oil & Gas, Commercial Real Estate & Construction, Insurance & Roofing

Technology advantage

Combines a massive global pilot network (20,000+) with proprietary visual AI models trained on millions of infrastructure-specific images. Their multi-modal capture approach (drones, planes, and smartphones) allows for flexible, high-frequency monitoring at a global scale.

How they differentiate

Zeitview differentiates through its 'Asset Intelligence' approach, moving beyond simple drone photography to provide a full-stack AI platform that integrates data from drones, crewed aircraft, and satellites. Their acquisition strategy (Heliolytics, InsightM) allows them to offer specialized analytics for solar, wind, and methane detection that competitors often lack in a single unified dashboard.

Main competitors

Raptor Maps, Cyberhawk, SkySpecs, Sitemark

Key partnerships

Climate Investment (Lead investor and strategic partner), Valor Equity Partners & Union Square Ventures, Strategic acquisitions of Heliolytics (Solar), Clearsight (Utilities), and InsightM (Methane), Global network of 20,000+ certified drone pilots

Notable customers

Shell, Southern Company, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, SunPower, Standard Solar

Major milestones

Rebranded from DroneBase to Zeitview in 2023 to signal shift to 'Asset Intelligence', Acquired Heliolytics in 2023 to become the global leader in solar inspection, Acquired Clearsight in 2023 to expand into Utility Transmission & Distribution, Acquired InsightM in 2024 to integrate advanced methane leak detection capabilities, Closed $60M Series E funding round in March 2025

Growth metrics

Inspected over 200,000 assets in 2024; estimated 2024 revenue of $82.5M; global pilot network exceeding 20,000 certified professionals.

Market positioning

Global leader in automated visual inspection and AI-driven asset management for renewable energy and critical infrastructure.

Geographic focus

Global operations across 80+ countries, with primary market concentration in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

Patents and IP

Holds proprietary AI algorithms for automated defect detection; public records indicate at least one registered patent with multiple trade secrets regarding thermal and visual data processing.

About Dan Burton

Dan Burton is the Founder and CEO of Zeitview. His leadership is informed by his background as a Marine Infantry Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he first recognized the transformative potential of drone technology. Following his military service, he transitioned to high finance as an industry analyst at Goldman Sachs within the Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group. He also served as a Special Projects Assistant in the U.S. Senate. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from New York University.

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