Unicorns Podcast: How Freespace Operations cracked the drone code

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

Host Justin Kelly, former broadcast journalist and PR veteran, chats with leaders from across Australia and internationally about business strategy, what it takes to build a successful company, how to overcome challenges and advice for those on a similar journey.

In this episode, Justin speaks with Ken King and Leonard Hall, co-founders of Freespace Operations, a Melbourne-based drone company that’s pushing the boundaries of what autonomous aircraft can do.

Freespace has achieved what many in the industry once thought impossible: enabling multiple drones to work together to carry heavy payloads in perfect sync. Their breakthrough, Cooperative Lift, allows teams of drones to move up to 100 kilograms of cargo – a feat that’s already earning attention from defence agencies across the Indo-Pacific.

The conversation explores how two Australian engineers built a world-first technology that’s redefining the limits of unmanned flight, the challenges of bootstrapping deep-tech hardware in Australia, and how their innovations could reshape industries from defence to mining to emergency response.

This podcast was developed in collaboration with Freespace Operations, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

The interviews and discussions in this podcast are opinions only and not financial or investment advice. Listeners should obtain independent advice based on their own circumstances before making any financial decisions.