Zeitview

About Zeitview

Zeitview, formerly known as DroneBase, provides an advanced inspection software platform tailored for energy and infrastructure assets. The company was founded in 2014 by Dan Burton and Eli Tamanaha in Santa Monica, California, and participated in the Y Combinator Winter 2015 batch. Burton's inspiration for the company stemmed from his experience as a Marine Infantry Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he recognized the potential of aerial imagery for asset management. His background also includes roles at Goldman Sachs and the U.S. Senate, combined with an MBA from Harvard Business School.

The company's history shows a strategic evolution. It began as DroneBase, creating a large network of drone pilots to capture aerial data for various industries. Over time, the company shifted its focus more towards enterprise clients in the renewable energy sector, launching specialized software products. This strategic pivot culminated in a rebrand to Zeitview in early 2023, a name derived from the German for "time view," to better reflect its expanded mission of providing longitudinal data analysis for assets, moving beyond just drones to include data from crewed aircraft and smartphones. This rebranding was accompanied by a significant $55 million funding round led by Valor Equity Partners.

Zeitview's business model centers on offering its AI-powered software platform to clients, primarily through a subscription-based service. The platform ingests and analyzes large volumes of visual data to deliver actionable insights that help clients optimize asset performance, reduce maintenance costs, and improve safety. The company serves a global client base across sectors such as solar, wind, real estate, insurance, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure in over 60 countries. Its services support the entire asset lifecycle, from pre-construction site selection using LiDAR and hydrological modeling to operational maintenance and buy-and-sell due diligence.

The company's technology enables remote aerial inspections of assets like solar farms, wind turbines, and power lines. Its AI-powered analytics can automatically detect anomalies and faults from imagery, reducing manual review time. A key offering is the North American Solar Scan (NASS), which provides standardized performance ratings for solar assets. Zeitview's platform allows clients to manage their entire portfolio, visualize data through dynamic layers, and collaborate with team members, ultimately streamlining decision-making for large-scale infrastructure management.