Hylio

Hylio develops autonomous drones, intended for “precision agriculture.”

Using its fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, farmers and food producers can quickly identify problem areas and apply crop treatments efficiently. This enables them to increase their yields and deliver more food to customers.

Hylio is at the intersection of a few massive markets, including the agricultural-equipment market ($377 billion), drone market ($100 billion), and the market for crop protection ($79 billion).

The goal of its drones, which it calls its “AgriDrones,” is to help farmer grow crops more efficiently. This isn’t merely a significant need — it’s a timely one.

In order to meet demand, food production must double by 2050. And traditional farming methods can’t keep up. Furthermore, current crop-care methods are dangerous, imprecise, and inefficient. These antiquated techniques must be replaced with smarter tools to sustainably produce more food on fewer acres to support a growing population.

Hylio’s drones are easy to use, effective, and reliable — putting the power of precision agriculture in the hands of farmers and operators. By combining functional and robust hardware with powerful software, the company offers a turn-key solution that streamlines precise application of crop treatments. The result is increased yield and minimized costs and environmental impact.

Hylio offers a range of drone models, from ones that can carry two-and-a-half gallons up to ones that can carry eighteen gallons. The drones are nimble enough to treat challenging areas like fence lines and tree lines. And when deployed as a swarm, they can cover hundreds, or even thousands of acres per day.

Working with these drones is Hylio’s ground-control software application called AgroSol GCS. This enables users to access autonomous or manual control of an AgriDrone at the push of a button. A single operator can multiply an AgriDrone’s productivity by commanding up to three of them from a single controller.

Notably, while other companies in the agriculture-technology space rely on third-party products and systems, Hylio develops and owns its core technology in-house.

In February 2024, the company secured the first-ever U.S. approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for swarm operations with a single pilot. Swarm flying increases the productivity of drones and opens the door for the company’s system to be applied to industries beyond agriculture.

Hylio has generated twenty-three million dollars in lifetime revenue, including eight million dollars between Q1 and Q2 2024. Notable customers include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canadian fertilizer giant Nutrien, three-billion-dollar holding company Wilbur-Ellis, and King Ranch, the largest ranch in the U.S.

With funds raised, Hylio aims to build a 40,000-square-foot factory to increase production, and develop new products such as a hybrid-powered drone.

Team Background

Nicholas Nawratil - Chief Operating Officer

Nick began working with drones while studying aerospace engineering at the University of Texas.

While there, he started and managed a utilities installation company that used drones to service the Austin area. He joined Hylio in May 2017.

He earned a Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nikhil Dixit - Co-Founder & CTO

Nikhil began his career working with Qualcomm, a telecom company. From there, he spent three years as a computer architect with NVIDIA, a computer hardware company.

He earned Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as a Master’s degree in Computer Systems from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mike Oda - Co-Founder & CFO

Mike has a background in finance. Initially, he managed his family’s businesses, including wholesale import and distribution of engineering products. More recently, he worked with Pacific Arc, a wholesale business selling art and drafting supplies to retailers.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Arthur Erickson - Co-Founder & CEO

Like Nick, Arthur’s interest in unmanned aerial systems began when he was studying aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

While studying, he worked with a research team to deploy drones for disaster prediction and response. Recognizing the potential of drone technology, he started Hylio in 2015.

In addition to his role with Hylio, Arthur has led a special drone delivery project in Costa Rica in collaboration with a startup called GoPato.

Co-Investors