“Skydio For All” Report Highlights the Company’s Social Impact in 2022

In a recent report Skydio details the impact it made in its corporate social responsibility program last year.

This work is done under an initiative the company calls “Skydio for All.” Although this is the first year the report has been issued, the work began a few years back, when a group of Skydio employees began brainstorming ways the company could support communities in need at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report covers the impact the company made in 2022, as well as highlighting plans for expansion in 2023, emphasizing Skydio’s commitment to serving others as part of its mission.

I was fortunate to be exposed to engineering for the first time through drone technology and I know firsthand how transformational it can be, especially at a young age. We see a great opportunity for continued education in communities who may otherwise not be exposed to this technology.

– Adam Bry, Co-Founder and CEO of Skydio

The social impact work Skydio has focused on is far ranging, and includes supporting youth in STEM education, supporting veterans, wildlife conservation, and helping record historic and cultural sites by making 3D models of them.

Here are some highlights from the report:

• Skydio doubled its outreach and impact efforts while reaching the highest employee engagement to date in 2022.
• Overall, Skydio For All supported 35 nonprofit organizations across six countries in 2022.
• The amount of combined product and financial donations made in 2022 totaled over $824,000, with over 394 drones donated.

Let’s take a look at each of the main areas the report covers.

STEM for Youth

In 2022, Skydio helped promote STEM education by supporting non-profit and educational programs that worked with underserved communities.

Support came in the form of in-person workshops and activities, which allowed students to fly Skydio drones.

Here are some highlights of the STEM work Skydio did last year:

• Youth Fly Day. Skydio employees helped bring students together from ICA Cristo Rey All Girls Academy in San Francisco for a day of hands-on education about drones.
• UAS4STEM partnership. Skydio supported the organization’s national drone-making competition to empower the next generation of drone pilots.

Here are some key stats showcasing the amount of support Skydio provided last year for STEM education:

Digital Twins for Inspections and Preservation

One of the most interesting ways that Skydio gave back in 2022 was in the form of creating 3D models of historic and cultural sites around the world. These models were also used for inspections, providing insights into areas that might need repair to help in their maintenance.

By creating digital twins of aging historic sites, Skydio For All team members were able to allow those who can’t travel there to see them “up close,” while also preserving them digitally for future generations.

Skydio partnered in this work with several local organizations, including Nepal Flying Labs, Namibia Flying Labs, Senegal Flying Labs, and WeRobotics (the umbrella organization that helped start each Flying Lab chapter).

Here are some highlights of the preservation and inspection work Skydio supported last year:

• Inspecting water supply towers in Namibia. Skydio provided drones and software to help inspectors investigate the condition of aging water towers by creating digital twins of them to identify areas that needed maintenance.
• Preserving a temple in Nepal. Skydio provided Skydio 2+ Pro Kits, training, and Skydio 3D Scan software to Nepal Flying Labs so it could create digital twins of the Changu Narayan Temple. The temple dates to the 5th century and is one of seven UNESCO world heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.

Side-by-side of a photo and a digital twin of the Changu Narayan Temple | Credit: Skydio

Here are some key stats showcasing the amount of support Skydio provided last year for historic preservation:

Wildlife Conservation

In 2022, Skydio’s drones were used to help several researchers and non-profits in their work to preserve and protect endangered species.

Skydio provided support in the form of drone hardware, software, training, and even expertise by making Skydio employees available to support conservation work in the field.

Here are some highlights of the wildlife conservation work Skydio supported last year:

• Animal counting in Kenya. Skydio donated two drones and the support of two of its autonomy engineers to help The Wildlife Foundation and Kenya Flying Labs with a bi-monthly animal count at the Nairobi National Park. This data is crucial for conservation work done both at the park and for the governmental organization Kenya Wildlife Services.
• Rhino identification in Namibia. Skydio made donations to Wild Tracks, a non-profit that makes software for identifying animal footprints, and supported Rhino identification via footprint at the Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve. A Skydio drone was used to capture images of animal footprints at the reserve with a Skydio autonomy engineer supporting the effort.

Here are some key stats showcasing the amount of support Skydio provided last year for wildlife conservation:

Other Initiatives—Veterans, Education, and More

In addition to the areas covered above, Skydio supported several other initiatives last year aimed at giving back, including:

Veteran Vehicle Scholarship

This scholarship was launched in 2021. It gives veterans the chance to win a Skydio 2+ Pro Kit to aid them in starting their own business, growing their careers, and improving their lives. The scholarship is conducted in partnership with Semper Fi & America’s Fund and Wounded Eagle UAS.

To apply, veterans can submit a personal essay sharing their story and how they plan to use the Skydio 2+ to improve their lives and further their careers.

Applications are open through March 31, 2023. Learn more and apply here.

The Skydio 2+ | Credit: Skydio

Equity in Part 107 Education

Skydio provides Part 107 training for employees interested in getting certified to be commercial drone pilots.

As part of this effort, Skydio has helped 20% of its female employees secure their Part 107 certifications. Nationally only 7.9% of Part 107 certificate holders are women.

Fun fact—Skydio is an official partner of UAV Coach. This means that the Part 107 training they offer comes from Drone Pilot Ground School, our online test prep and training course for the FAA’s Part 107 test.

Support for Ukraine

Last year, within days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Skydio launched a campaign to support the country.

The effort included the donation of hundreds of drones, training, resources, and aid, totaling over $300,000 in all. Skydio also translated its manuals and training materials into Ukrainian and created a 24/7 support hotline for Ukrainian partners.