The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced that CIT GAP Funds made an investment in Chesapeake, Virginia–based DroneUp, the creator of a patent pending platform that organizes drone pilots into a network that serves commercial markets, government agencies, and public safety organizations, a press release states.

CIT GAP Funds is a family of funds placing equity investments in Virginia-based tech, life science, and cleantech companies, and it has invested in over 200 early-stage companies to date. Goldman Sachs recently issued a reportstating that between now and 2020, it forecasts a $100 billion market opportunity for drones—helped by growing demand from the commercial and civil government sectors. The amount of the investment in DroneUp was not disclosed.

Founded in 2016, DroneUp is looking to help the growing drone industry by maintaining a network of drone pilots through the startup’s Mission Matchapp that locates, qualifies and deploys single-pilot or multi-pilot crews according to their client requirements.

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