Drone lighting start-up gets funding support

Blue Vigil, the US start-up pioneering the use of tethered drone technology for temporary site lighting, has received financial backing from the Chang Robotics Fund, the new technology investor established by US-based Chang Robotics.

The funds will enable Blue Vigil to transition from its beta programme into manufacturing the first production units to meet initial market demand. Chang Robotics has not disclosed how much backing it is providing.

The fund said that Blue Vigil’s technology has massive growth potential in construction as well as untapped markets such as sports and entertainment. It said the global portable lighting sector is booming and projected to reach $8.3bn by 2031.

It added that Blue Vigil’s AL1000 platform “represents the first major breakthrough in mobile work lighting in over 40 years… It’s a lower-cost, energy-efficient alternative that transforms outdated infrastructure—perfectly aligning with the Fund’s mission to back robotics innovations that drive real-world impact.

“What seals our enthusiasm is Blue Vigil’s exceptional team, led by Rob Schumann, an accomplished CEO and multiple-time successful founder whose technical prowess and entrepreneurial track record have already propelled the company from prototype to commercial traction, underpinned by oversubscription for the company’s beta product.”

Carl Miller, Blue Vigil’s COO, said; “Blue Vigil is excited to partner with the Chang Robotics Fund because they understand what it takes to bring game-changing, hard-tech products to market.

“Beyond capital, we are getting access to their phenomenal engineering expertise, ingenuity, and know-how that is critical to ensuring that our products meet the reliability demands of our core markets.”

Can a ‘flying light tower’ revolutionize job site illumination? U.S.-based startup is beta testing a drone-based tethered light that fits into a person-portable wheeled case and puts 8,000 sq ft of OSHA-quality light on the ground