Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Easy Aerial, a New York-based developer of tethered drone systems for aerial surveillance, has raised $20 million in Series B funding from Insight Partners and Entrée Capital.
Why it matters: The startup was at the center of controversy earlier this year, when it was booted from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Zoom in: Easy Aerial said the eviction was prompted by protests over its work with the Israeli Defense Forces, with CEO Shahar Abuhazira claiming that Mayor Zohran Mamdani was behind the decision.
Fast forward: The company now is based in a different Brooklyn commercial complex, even though it remains listed on the Brooklyn Navy Yard website.
“While we left the Brooklyn Navy Yard, we chose to stay in Brooklyn,” Abuhazira tells Axios.. “We were fortunate to find an amazing new home – bigger, nicer, and much better suited to support our continued growth and needs.
He adds: “To remove any doubt, the way the Brooklyn Navy Yard treated us was shameful and extremely disappointing. But it certainly does not represent our experience with Brooklyn or New York City.”
Go deeper, via Defense Daily: “Two of the company’s multi-rotor drones are on the Defense Department’s Blue UAS Cleared List, which means they meet certain congressionally mandated requirements and are therefore eligible for purchase by DoD and federal agencies.”
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