Drone tech provider PrecisionHawk, has purchased inspection service Uplift Data Partners.

Uplift provides turn-key inspection services for construction and building information management (BIM) as well as for real-estate.

The company’s nationwide network of commercially trained drone pilots will join PrecisionHawk’s Droners.io network which consists of more than 15,000 drone pilots,

Suzanne El-Moursi, CEO of Uplift, will join PrecisionHawk’s executive leadership team, managing the company’s construction line of business.

PrecisionHawk CEO Michael Chasen said of the merger:

“This acquisition displays PrecisionHawk’s commitment to strengthening our technology and expertise in high-growth markets. By combining PrecisionHawk’s leading-edge products and services with Uplift’s industry experience and training standards, our customers will receive best-in-class aerial data and analytics for complex construction and facility inspection projects through a simple and easy to procure process.”

Uplift Data took flight 2015 as a subsidiary of Clayco, one of the nation’s largest architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firms. The terms of the acquisition mean Clayco will exclusively source its construction projects to PrecisionHawk and representatives will serve on PrecisionHawk’s Board of Advisors.

Clayco CEO Bob Clark said:

“PrecisionHawk is leading the commercial drone market by combining superior technology with deep expertise in the markets that they serve. Through this acquisition, Clayco customers gain access to a new level of technological sophistication for more scalable and robust operations, while continuing to benefit from Uplift’s deep understanding of the demanding nature of engineering and construction industry drone missions.”

For PrecisionHawk, the new buy is the fifth so far in 2018. In September, the firm acquired drone inspection service HAZON as well as renewable energy data company InspecTools. Earlier this year, PrecisionHawk purchased Droners.io and AirVu.

Similar to the energy space, the construction industry has experienced a rapid uptake in the adoption of commercial drone technology. Drones are now one of the leading innovative technologies that are transforming the construction process since they decrease the need for lengthy visual inspections, reduce planning time, improve worker safety and identify problems.

El-Moursi added:

“Our mission at Uplift is to support the modernization of the architecture, engineering and construction industry by creating tools and training that improve the accessibility of drone services, thereby delivering true value to construction projects. The construction industry is uniquely rugged, yet defined by innovation and intelligence, and we are thrilled to join PrecisionHawk, a company that is both aligned to this mission and committed to the growth and expansion of the industry.”