Fathom

Aerial drones are everywhere. With them, people can discover previously unexplored heights, explore new views, and fly like a bird in their aerial adventures. What about the opposite though? What if you want a swim-like-a-fish adventure? Enter (or, I guess, float) in Fathom One drones. Fathom drones give anyone, anywhere, the chance to create and curate their own underwater experiences. While the Fathom drone is not the only underwater drone out there, it is one of the most affordable and mobile. This drone costs about $800 (several hundred dollars cheaper than competitors), has a 1080p camera, can swim up to 3 knots down to 150 feet, is only 8” long, and weighs 4.5 pounds. It also has a 100 foot wireless connection range -- all of which helped it earn the honor of being a Techstars 2017 company. Created by Danny Vessells, John Boss, and Matt Gira, these three tech and trend savvy co-founders have combined entrepreneurial experience through the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, the Hope College Entrepreneurial Institute, and the Emerge Xcelerate program. They realized this type of drone fills a pretty significant hole in an estimated $50B market of outdoor recreation and water gear. The Fathom’s 2016 Kickstarter campaign resulted in over 400 pre-orders and over $190,000 in revenue. The patent pending modular thruster system allows for adaptability in many different uses, and the footage it takes seems to be pretty clear. Finding Nemo clear, actually. Revenue is generated by direct sales to consumer through e-commerce and partnership with retailers. Eventually, they plan to have additional revenue through accessories, clothing, and maintenance. You can invest for a minimum of $99 on Netcapital. Since late September, they’ve raised $693 of their $10,000 goal, and the investment offering ends on January 2, 2018. Hook, line, and sinker? I fathom that the fathoms Fathom One will go might just be….unfathomable. And I mean that in a waterproof, no leaks, let’s-go-find-some-cool-octopus kind of way. See DroneLife's piece on Fathom, entitled "Can’t buy stock in DJI? Well you can in Fathom!"