ANN ARBOR–Sniffer Robotics, an environmental technology services firm, announced first and substantial close of a $2 million seed funding round, led by the Michigan Angel Fund.
Other investors include Michigan Rise, Naruhisa Nakagawa (founder of Caygan Capital), and Abhishek Desai of Desai Ventures (London).
The start-up, founded in late 2016, developed a patented, drone-based solution to detect methane leak sources at ground level. Its unmanned aerial system, called the Sniffer Drone, automates a hazardous and labor-intensive methane emission monitoring method where technicians walk miles to manually inspect landfills, natural gas pipelines, and similar land-based applications.
In December 2022, the US EPA recognized the benefits of Sniffer’s technology with the first and only approval of their automated tool for compliance. This system is used throughout the United States assisting sites to more accurately account for methane leaks, enhances gas collection, and reduce odors, for a triple benefit – operations, community, and the environment.
This capital raise provides funds for continued product development and expansion.
“We were happy to lead this seed round for Sniffer Robotics,” said Skip Simms, managing member of the Michigan Angel Fund. “SR has a product and service that falls under the category of ‘why hasn’t someone already thought of this.’ They now have first mover advantage in a huge market. The EPA has recognized their value for the environment and waste industry by approving them as a qualified vendor for reporting. Customers repeatedly confirm the value proposition with the savings they provide. And they have the IP to protect their launch. This capital gives them the fuel for acceleration.”
Added Arthur Mohr Jr., CEO of Sniffer Robotics: “I’m very grateful to the investors who see the value we offer our customers and the environment and look to harness the momentum from our US EPA approval and successful capital raise to drive the scale we all envision for this business.”
Sniffer’s technologies and services improve emission detection and measurement, odor leak identification, and revenue generation from increased gas capture for conversion to energy. To date, Sniffer has completed projects in 28 states on 150-plus sites, identifying more than 16,500 methane leak sources for remediation. Improving operations and our environment, Sniffer provides aerial (drone-based) and field services, automation tools, and comprehensive software analytics and reporting solutions.
More at www.snifferrobotics.com.