Get to know the GENIUS NY Cohort 8 teams leading up to the Pitch Finals on Oct. 28, 2024.

Manu Lubrano knows drones can drive progress and create positive change.. The Italian-born and Swiss-based entrepreneur’s been in the UAS industry for over a decade and knows that like any tool, UAS technology is beneficial when used properly. He knows this because it’s how he’s used the technology, but he also knows the public may not share his perception.

With this in mind, Lubrano co-founded the organization Drones For Earth with the goal of demonstrating and promoting the great potential of drones to protect our planet and support local communities. During a specific mission to Nepal in 2015, he got the idea for INVOLI, the company he runs today and a GENIUS NY finalist.

“There had been a huge earthquake in Nepal, and many drone operators went there to help with the rescue efforts. But the Civil Aviation Authority forbid [many drones] to fly because there were too many helicopters in the sky, and drones could be a hazard to them,” Lubrano said. “But knowing the position of these helicopters would allow a drone operator to avoid them!”

That’s what sparked his goal of being able to detect air traffic and provide the position to drones.

“Visualizing air traffic isn’t just about avoiding collisions; it’s an enabler of complex drone operations, opening up possibilities for drone uses that were unimaginable before.”

INVOLI is in the business of detecting air traffic for drones. Lubrano describes INVOLI as the Waze app for the sky. By detecting traffic in the sky, INVOLI can provide the position of air traffic vehicles to drone operators so they can avoid it.

The technology is already being used on three continents and by local companies in the drone industry. Lubrano knows Central New York and GENIUS NY are a good fit for INVOLI’s U.S. branch.

“You can go to Dallas because there are many commercial drone operations, or you can go to Silicon Valley so you are close to investors. But Syracuse has an ecosystem which is 100% appropriate to our company. There are all these companies and organizations in the area, like NUAIR, Saab and Lockheed Martin, that they are not in other places. Plus, there is the drone ecosystem that GENIUS NY has already created.”

Lubrano will present INVOLI’s technology at the GENIUS NY Pitch Finals during Innovation Night.
GET TICKETS to the Oct. 28 event today.