Industrial drone inspection specialist Sky-Futures has been acquired by international asset maintenance management company ICR Integrity.

ICR’s current inspection services are set to be bolstered by Sky-Futures’ expertise in providing drone solutions to the oil and gas industry. UK-based Sky-Futures is also making headway in commercial BVLOS operations, plotting a path toward automated inspections at range.

Sky-Futures’ co-founder and CEO James Harrison confirmed on Twitter that he will continue building an AI for inspection analytics as part of a new company.

So we have sold @SkyFutures & spun out the #AI #tech platform. My co-founders @cblackfordSF & @nrogersSF will be driving the services business forward with new owners & I will lead NewCo. https://t.co/cfdAkzur0c

— James Harrison (@jharrisonSF) May 6, 2019

Read more: Sky-Futures takes advantage of 333 exemption to expand in U.S.

ICR to combine technical services with drone inspection

ICR’s CEO Bill Bayliss says the acquisition will provide its clients with the technology they need to extend the life and improve the operations of their assets.

“This is a very exciting time for the ICR business and its continued growth in the inspection space. We see a huge opportunity with Sky-Futures becoming part of the ICR Group as they are a world leader in the use of drones for data capture and its subsequent management,” he said.

“This acquisition, combined with a number of existing product lines within the ICR service portfolio, will provide our global client base with industry leading technologies to both extend the life cycle and improve the integrity of an asset.”

Sky-Futures Co-Founder and COO Chris Blackford said, “The acquisition of Sky-Futures by ICR is an exciting next step in our journey. The combination of ICR’s technical services with drone-based inspection operations provide a highly differentiated offering that will stand out in the market.”

Read more: Terra Drone Expands Oil-and-Gas Inspection Services to Brazil

Sky-Futures is headquartered in Hayes, England. The company also has a pilot training academy and franchise partners in Malaysia and the Middle East.

ICR is backed by funds provided by Graphite Capital. The terms of the acquisition were not made public.