Drone analytics startup Aria Insights suddenly shutters

[NelsonG]

Earlier this year, Helen Greiner-founded drone startup CyPhy Works announced a major change. The company was rebooting and renaming itself Aria Insights, a move that arrived with a newfound AI/data-driven focus. Now, just over two months later, the company is no more.

Reports that Aria had shuttered began surfacing earlier this week. Moments ago, the company confirmed the move in a tersely worded statement offered to TechCrunch:

Aria Insights has ceased operations effective March 21, 2019.

That’s the sum total of the insight provided by Lance VandenBrook, the former CyPhy CEO who resumed that role as the company transitioned back in January. The move appears to be an abrupt one, with little to no information offered to external parties. It brings to mind last year’s sudden closure of Rethink Robotics, another company launched by a former iRobot co-founder.

Full disclosure: We announced last month that the company’s CTO would be appearing onstage at our Robotics event next month. That, like everything else apart from Aria’s drones, appears to be up in the air at the moment.

More information as we get it.

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