TRACY, Calif. -- A group called SkyRyse claims it will be the "first technology-enabled air mobility company" to operate in the United States following its launch of SkyRyse Emergency Response last week.
The news comes with the announcement that SkyRyse has signed a deal with Tracy, Calif., where it will provide support for the city's law enforcement, firefighting, and search and rescue units.
"Because the stakes are highest in emergency response situations when minutes can mean the difference between life and death, we're launching SkyRyse Emergency Response to support governments and municipalities first, with plans to change how we get around our cities in the future," said Mark Groden, CEO and SkyRyse co-founder.
The venture is building an advanced pilot assistance system (APAS) that will combine artificial intelligence, a flight perception suite and decision-making algorithms. The company said the APAS will decrease the pilot's workload and reduce human error, and is designed to work with any Federal Aviation Administration-approved vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.
The company claims it an cut the average emergency response times from roughly 13.5 minutes to four minutes through the use of VTOLs.
"The City of Tracy is always seeking out new, innovative technologies that can bolster the safety and wellness of our community," said Tracy Police Lieutenant Terry Miller. "SkyRyse's focus on safety, their world-class team and exceptional technology attracted us to the partnership. SkyRyse's Air Emergency Response service will help us respond to emergencies faster and more affordably."
SkyRyse -- established in 2016 with experts from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, SpaceX, Tesla, Uber and the U.S. military -- has already raised $25 million in seed money and Series A funding. The efforts were led by Venrock, with participation from Eclipse, Industry Ventures, Trucks CV, Cantos, Engage Ventures and Stanford University.
"Every year, billions of hours are wasted in traffic and spent following inefficient travel corridors, taxing our well-being and economic productivity," said Mark Groden, CEO and SkyRyse co-founder. "We are building an air transportation service that is not limited by today's infrastructure."
