ImpactAlpha, September 28 — Australia-based Infravision has raised $23 million for its AI-powered drones designed to install and upgrade transmission lines. Infravision says its drones can string a high-voltage transmission line in as little as seven months, compared to 10 years, on average, with current methods.
The company works with electric utilities and contractors in Texas and San Francisco, as well as New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.
Path to net zero
The majority of the US electric grid’s 600,000 miles of transmission lines are more than 25 years old. To reach the Biden administration’s zero-carbon electricity goals, over a million miles of new transmission is needed.
“Transmission remains the fundamental constraint to decarbonizing the grid and unlocking the net-zero economy,” said Sameer Reddy of Energy Impact Partners, which backed Infravision’s Series A round. Other investors include Equinor Ventures and Edison International.
