Ep 60: Fatema Hamdani, CEO and co-founder, KH Aerospace

In this episode, we’re joined by Fatema Hamdani, Co-founder and CEO of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace. Fatema is the first guest to return to the TNW podcast, first appearing on the show in February 2020 after meeting TNW co-host Dean Nelson on Necker Island. KH Aerospace has made ground-breaking progress since then. Fatema leads an incredible team unlocking the potential of Unmanned Aerial Systems to augment and save lives, applied in everything from disaster relief and anti-poaching operations to military intelligence and reconnaissance. KH Aerospace has built the world’s first fully electric, zero-emissions UAV with the longest airborne endurance in its category. KH Aerospace is breaking world records with UAVs that can travel longer distances, stay in flight longer, and at higher altitudes than any before. KH Aerospace, a NightDragon company, includes NightDragon Founder Dave DeWalt and Kevin O’Connell, CEO and Founder of Space Economy Rising, LLC serving on the Board. Fatema and KH Aerospace co-founder Stefan Kraus have been nominated as finalists for an Edison Award, which celebrates the apex of product innovation. Past winners include Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Ted Turner, and Martha Stewart. A quote from Forbes states that “an aerospace colleague recently told Fatema and Stefan that what they’re doing for unmanned aerial systems is what the Wright Brothers did for flight.” On the podcast, Fatema addresses layering data from sensors and how much of the work done by UAS is being used to create #digitaltwins, among other topics.The K1000ULE by KH Aerospace is an ultra-long endurance fully electric UAS supporting an array of complex missions utilizing Beyond Line Sight Capabilities. Using edge processing, AI-powered analytics based on geospatial and third-party data, this technology is used for a number of capabilities, including defense, natural disaster, commercial use, and anti-poaching.KH Aerospace is shaking up the industry by making UAVs at a price point finally in reach of commercial enterprises and NGOs, instead of just governments. Projects with the armed services are showing what’s possible when startups fuse an innovative, entrepreneurial culture with the mission mindset of the military.As a citizen of the world with a nearly two-decade record of building startups, Fatema is keenly aware of the big challenges facing humanity and business today. She is relentlessly passionate about using aeronautics to contribute game-changing solutions. The foundation she started, DragonFly United, promises to fly KH Aerospace technology to higher heights for people and the planet. Fatema is also passionate about female-driven entrepreneurship. Follow KH Aerospace on LinkedIn and Twitter, and check out the KH Aerospace website for their latest news and media engagements.