The Unicorns Podcast connects you to some of the best and brightest founders, CEOs, executives, business owners, VCs and inspiring leaders who make things happen and inspire others.

Hosted by former broadcast journalist and PR veteran, Justin Kelly, we chat to leaders on the front line on how to get started, what it takes to build a successful business, how to overcome challenges, and advice for those on a similar journey.

In this episode, Justin speaks with Dario Valenza, founder and CTO of emerging drone business Carbonix.

Dario created his drone startup Carbonix after a career designing world championship winning racing sail boats. He applied the lightweight carbon-fibre material he used in his boats and created an airframe for fixed wing drone use.

These frames were able to carry heavier loads, including more fuel, cameras and software, than others on the market.

They’re used by Hitachi to map stock on remote cattle properties, by Harvard to monitor predator prey movements and biomass across Africa and, most recently, by Ausgrid to monitor its power network and it begins to reduce its current reliance on helicopters.

In this episode, Dario talks through how Carbonix business began, the commercial applications of his drone network, how he identified the material gap in the market, the recent capital raise process and his big plans for the future.

Click below to tune in.