Innovate
St. Pete drone company launches dashboard to track storm damage
Missing shingles from roofs, shattered windows, collapsing walls and destroyed backyards are costly storm-related property damages that homeowners struggle with getting covered by insurers.
St. Petersburg-based startup PayPixl, which has created a platform where drone pilots can upload and share images of properties, has launched a new interactive dashboard called StormView.
The StormView app.
The dashboard enhances community response and support during future disasters by providing homeowners with essential tools and support to navigate the aftermath of major storms through its free post-hurricane imagery.
By uploading images and videos of the damage, homeowners can receive more accurate repair quotes.
“When your home is damaged by a storm, insurance companies will give you step-by-step instructions on how to file a claim. Insurance companies send someone to fix it, but since Hurricane Ian, insurance companies have been significantly underpaying. We are pulling imagery in and monetarizing it with lead for roofing and restoration companies,” founder Bobby Quinn said.
There were over 708,000 property and casualty insurance claims filed by Florida homeowners sfter Hurricane Ian slammed Florida’s Gulf Coast last year. According to PayPixl, 70% of those claims were disputed. Nearly 30% of claims were closed without a payout, and claims paid by the carriers were underpaid by up to 80%.
“It’s important to get that aerial imagery that’s undeniable and helps the homeowners, especially if they go to court. This imagery can expedite the claim process,” Quinn said. “We are building is an interface where they can see the post-storm imagery and draw pins on a map where they see damage and it creates a list of all the parcel data for those properties.”
Quinn said there may be a 24-to-36-hour turnaround time per order.
There are over 3,300 licensed drone and aircraft pilots in PayPixl’s network, many of which are based in Florida.
“We have a live map where anyone can search our dense pilot network across the U.S.,” Quinn said.
The company has a local office and is a member of Embarc Collective in Tampa. PayPixl may open a future office in Colorado.
Quinn said while the company is focusing on enchaining its capabilities.
“Before, our platform wasn’t scalable and fast enough to meet the demands. In the last storm, we had about 1,800 requests and we were only able to fulfill roughly half of the orders. This time, we should be able to fulfill 90 to 100 percent of them,” Quinn said.
The bootstrapped company is also preparing to raise more funds.
“We are ready to raise a $2 to $3 million seed round. We would like to raise it with investors who were prior founders and understand what the journey is like,” Quinn said.
David Frenkel
August 31, 2023at4:17 pm
I hope they follow all the various rules and regulations for flying in a disaster area. The FAA probably has no fly zones in much of the FL Gulf coast going inland along northern FL. There are a lot of emergency crews with various lift trucks fixing power lines and downed trees. Various government agencies will be flying helicopters and possibly drones in all the disaster areas. I think this company may have to wait a few weeks before doing an drone related inspections.