Fortem Technologies has been named on Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2019.

Fortem earned the fourth spot within the transportation category, held by General Motors last year. Fortem digitises the airpace across venues, campuses, cities and entire regions to secure no-fly-zones autonomously. This level of airspace awareness will enable a drone economy to thrive with the implementation of drone delivery services, air taxis and more.

“Our team of mission-driven engineers is honoured to receive such an award recognizing the technology we’ve built and the pathway it is paving for the future of drones,” said Fortem Technologies CEO, Timothy Bean. “Our proprietary AI-powered technology is ready for deployment across the world to secure airports, advance world-class city transportation services, and ensure public safety all thanks to the dedication and hard work of our team.”

Fortem Technologies has created the tools and technology necessary to enable the drone and air taxi economy, which continues to grow at a steady pace.

As of 2018, drone users have purchased over one million unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the US, including 122,000 in the commercial space and 878,000 belonging to hobbyists. This number is expected to triple by 2021.

In commercial space, drones are expected to triple to an anticipated 442,000 by 2021. Over 2 dozen air taxis have been announced by major aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, and many others.

Fortem SkyDome, a scalable digital network mesh, powered by a family of distributed Fortem TrueView radar sensors, provides a 360° view of the airspace, with the ability to automatically detect, track and classify thousands of objects in the sky and assess intention.

Objects that pose a threat can be safely removed from the airspace by Fortem DroneHunter, a security drone that can be cued by SkyDome to autonomously pursue and capture fast-moving intruders, bringing them back for forensic analysis, without causing interruption to RF and GPS signals critical for public security and safety.

“Emerging startups always inspire us in pointing the way forward for where the innovation economy is heading,” said Fast Company deputy editor David Lidsky, who oversaw the issue with senior editor Amy Farley.

The drone revolution is well underway, tapping the economic potential of the vast, and largely empty, airspace overhead. As with the advent of the train, automobile, and airplane, drones will change the way people live and travel, saving lives, making way for new businesses and unleashing rapid economic growth.

This year, Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out groundbreaking businesses across 35 industries in every region.