It’s safe to say Garrett Nees’ grandfather, a farmer all his life, was skeptical when he heard the 18-year-old say he had found a new way to improve their crop yield. “My grandpa thought I was crazy,” he says, unable to hold back a laugh. The family-owned farm in Breeda, Iowa, is home to hogs, cattle and thousands of acres of corn, so much corn that it’s impossible to gain an accurate assessment of the crop on foot. Nees would have to take to the air.

Formed in 2011, Event 38 designs and manufactures drones (unmanned aerial systems), specialized optical sensors, and a precision analytics data platform for small and medium sized businesses. The company has customers in 49 countries using its products for agriculture, surveying, construction, environmental preservation, and other applications.

The company received a $25,000 Innovation Fund award in December 2014. The funding will be used to assist in the development of a cloud based drone data management program.

Website: https://event38.com/

Wednesday, the region’s nonprofit Innovation Fund said it has awarded $25,000 to Event 38, as well another Akron startup, BioMendics LLC, which is developing a gel to heal wounds. The fund is designed to help young companies at early stages of development.