Drone company wins Latvia-U.S. innovation prize

Aerones builds heavy-lift drones for wind turbine cleaning, deicing and applying coatings to improve wind turbine efficiency. The drone can lift up to 440lbs of weight and can be used both for cleaning and deicing wind turbines, and it is planned that when fully developed it could perform firefighting and rescue tasks in disaster zones and dangerous areas.

Runner-up and recipient of a 5,000 euros prize was Solfeg.io, an innovative music teaching application and software for pupils and youth used by music teachers across America and Latvia to help teach kids how to play a specific instrument or to study music theory through fun and practical experience.

Anatomy Next for their innovation Trauma Simulator and SAF Tehnika for their innovation PhoeniX C received honorable mentions, too.

According to organizers, the Latvian-American Innovation Award "highlights and promotes entrepreneurship, research-driven innovation, and closer economic ties between Latvia and the United States" and was organized by the Baltic American Freedom Foundation (BAFF), the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia (AmCham) and the U.S. Embassy in Riga in close partnership with TechHub Riga and the Latvian Startup Association Startin.LV.