Ctrl Me Robotics Now A Part Of The Snapchat Family

Snap, the company behind the popular social media app Snapchat, has reportedly acquired startup company Ctrl Me Robotics for under $1 million.

Both companies operate in Venice, CA according to a report appearing on BuzzFeed News. Ctrl Me Robotics was founded in 2013 to provided tools for the capture of aerial footage to movie studios. Ctrl Me does not build drones, but rather uses third party drones and develops custom-built solutions for video capture. In a 2014 YouTube video, Ctrl Me says it was in the process of developing products for the movie industry, as well as the oil and gas sector and agriculture.

But the company apparently failed to gain traction and was in the process of closing its doors when Snap approached company founder and drone entrepreneur Simon Saito Nielsen about an opportunity for Nielsen to join Snap and bring some company assets and equipment.

This is the second time Snap has flirted with a drone company. Last year, they looked at Lily Robotics, which had sold some $34 million in pre-orders before filing for bankruptcy at the first of the year.

(Image from Ctrl Me Robotics YouTube video)

FMI: Original Report