Fire AI Rebrands to Nova
Hey!
Welcome to Nova, thanks for being here.
For YEARS we have wanted to take on the challenge of making a simpler, easier to use mapping platform. One that allowed us to process, manage and store drone imagery and get mapping products to our clients with only one tab open on our laptops.
Ten years ago, when Richard and I started Hummingbird Drones, our first hire was a GIS technician. We weren’t even drawing a salary yet (and wouldn’t for awhile) but what little money we did have, we used to hire someone who knew their way around mapping software.
It’s taken for granted that map-making is a learned skill, requiring a diploma or a certificate.
We don’t think it should be. We think maps should be as easy to create as a Google Doc or a PowerPoint instead of a specialty reserved for experts with expensive tools and fancy computers.
How often have we arrived at a wildfire or at a search for a missing person, and the ground crew's first exposure to a map is one that we have made for them? Far too often.
Nova’s inception can be traced back to late nights and early mornings in the field wrestling with clunky and outdated software. Each map a labor of love and of perseverance wrought between a handful of disconnected, disparate single use software applications.
We discovered we were not alone in these experiences.
These same frustrations echo among our customers and our partners, with similar stories of navigating cumbersome processes, juggling multiple software platforms, and achieving technically ambiguous results. Technical exclusivity often leaves individuals and small organizations feeling vulnerable, without the resources or capabilities to confidently leverage the insights and benefits of industry grade GIS software.
We decided to build a solution that not only made maps more accessible but put collaboration at the forefront of every workflow.
Ensuring Nova’s accessibility means guaranteeing its compatibility. Much like a seasoned guide adept in various terrains, Nova is crafted to adapt to hardware you already have, upgrading your analytical arsenal without reinventing it. Whether your drone program is a fully realized operation, or an unopened box in the attic, Nova fits anywhere and everywhere.
Speed and simplicity is the foundation of our beliefs, but it’s not just about creating a map; it’s about sparking dialogues, fueling teamwork, and facilitating collaboration without compromise.
We established 4 guiding principles that helped chart Nova’s creation:
Introduce an easy to use, intuitive platform that’s ready for adventure
Empower teams to visualize data in a way that makes sense to them, making complex information simple and actionable
Share and leverage data seamlessly within the app, without the need for third party apps
Enable anyone to create, customize, and publish their own tools within Nova
These guiding principles define what Nova is today, and will be the foundation of Nova in the future as it continues to grow and change.
Nova is more than just a mapping platform, it’s a common operating picture for our lives. Or at least it will be. You can help us get there.
Join our platform today. Poke, prod and break what we’ve built. Give us your feedback for improvements, ideas for features and contribute as a developer through our MApp Store.
We can’t do this alone.
- Robert Atwood, CEO