Who Will Be The Next Drone Billionaire?

The International Drone Expo Announces Pitchfest In Program Line-up

Largest Global Commercial Drone Conference Will Offer Attendees a Once in a Lifetime Chance to Present Ideas to Top Venture Capitalists in the Drone Community

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 12, 2015 — The second International Drone Expo (IDE) and Drone Business Conference, the largest global commercial drone gathering today announced the IDE 2015 Drone Pitchfest, a once in a lifetime opportunity for drone entrepreneurs to get in front of the most influential venture capitalists dominating the powerful drone community with $150,000 of funding to be won.  Professionals and influencers pioneering the way in the industry will be sharing their insight at the largest global commercial drone community gathering which will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center December 11 and 12.

Presented by DJI, Aerial Media Pros, Multicopter Warehouse and DroneFly, the IDE 2015 Drone Pitchfest will feature submission categories covering drone hardware, software and service maintenance.  Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated, a Fortune 500 company with operations across the globe, will be judging the IDE 2015 Drone Pitchfest, alongside AECOM, Wharton Alumni Angel Network, LightSpeed Accelerator, Starbright Accelerator and AirMap.io, awarding $150,000 in prizes among three fortuitous winners.  Submissions will open Mon., August 17 and conclude Fri., October 16.

“As with all new business sectors, venture capital and early stage investors are hedging their bets to see who will emerge as the clear commercial drone leader and the first to be listed on a major index,” said Keith Kaplan, co-founder and CEO, UAVSA.  “Drones are one of the hottest early-stage investment segments since the Internet boom.  IDE’s 2015 Drone Pitchfest may decide who will be the next drone billionaire.”

IDE will feature a compelling lineup of industry visionaries and will cover topics including:

• The New Drone Economy – An Overview of a Global Movement
• Drones and the Future of Aerospace
• Aerial Sensors and Big Data
• Cinematography and Creative Applications
• The Future of Education and Jobs in Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Early registration for IDE 2015 is available now for the business conference for $295, and the expo for $25.

IDE was created by the Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Systems Association (UAVSA), the only worldwide drone association focused solely on the commercial prosumer, operator, pilot, innovator, entrepreneur, company and community. This year, the UAVSA is partnering with E.J. Krause & Associates, a presidentially awarded international expo company bringing premier technology and staging to conferences globally, to produce IDE 2015.

For more information, please visit: www.intdroneexpo.com.

To enter IDE’s 2015 Drone Pitchfest, please visit: www.intdroneexpo.com/idepitchfest

About the Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Systems Association:

Created by the Tesla Foundation Group, the Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Systems Association (UAVSA) is the first and largest commercial drone association solely dedicated to the commercial global drone community.  The UAVSA is tirelessly working to promote the safe and ethical commercial operation of drones for the betterment of mankind. For more information, please visit: http://uavsa.org.

The UAVSA is a 501(c)(3) non for profit corporation.

About the Tesla Foundation Group:

The Tesla Foundation Group is a non for profit Science and Technology Foundation that is committed through the power of research and education to create, promote, and protect American Jobs and Companies with innovation and the steps needed for commercialization. http://teslafoundationgroup.org

The Tesla Foundation Group is a 501(c)(3) non for profit corporation.

About E.J. Krause:

For more than 30 years, E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. (EJK) has been a worldwide leader in exhibition and conference management. EJK is one of the largest privately held exhibition management companies in the world, with offices on three continents. EJK produces a growing portfolio of over 40 events, serving 14 different industries. We excel in creating global brand leading events, bringing companies together to network and generate business. For more information please visit:  www.ejkrause.com.