Cloudline

What they do:

Cloudline delivers essential goods to remote locations using unmanned lighter-than-aerial vehicles.

Cloudline’s balloon-like drones use cutting edge technology to track, monitor and keep aloft, and have a long-range capacity of 200 km. Their autonomous airships transform unmanned aviation with breakthrough cost advantages and zero carbon emissions.

Why we invested:

Product: Cutting edge airships with the following specifications: Endurance of 12 hours, Cruising Speed (for max Endurance) of 40 km/h, Maximum speed of 60km/h, Maximum Payload of 40 kg.

The airships have multiple use cases, such as providing aerial imagery, delivering essential goods to remote locations using unmanned lighter-than-aerial vehicles, or providing wi-fi onboard.

The Founder:

Spencer Horne is the founder and CEO of Cloudline. Spencer was inspired to found Cloudline to address the many structural and infrastructural barriers he encountered on his work and travels on the African continent, especially in rural and marginalised areas.  

Spencer was afforded a number of key educational opportunities during his upbrinigng in Kuils River, including new academic institutions such as the Cape Academy for Maths, Science and Technology and African Leadership Academy, where he honed his passions for aviation and structural impact respectively.  He obtained his engineering degree from Harvard College before returning to South Africa to embark on a career in management consulting. 

He has been recognised for his work by Fast Company South Africa and Quartz Africa, and is an Entrepreneur in Residence with Schmidt Futures. 

Active in:

South Africa