What started with a borrowed drone during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed into an international business venture for Guyanese entrepreneur Brian Smith.
On Thursday, Smith, the founder of Dragonfly Solutions Group Inc., officially launched a joint venture with Canadian drone technology company Altomaxx, creating a new Guyanese-led enterprise aimed at supporting the country's rapidly expanding energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors.
While initially billed as a ceremonial signing, the agreement unveiled at Herdmanston Lodge was the real deal — formally establishing the partnership between the two companies after months of collaboration and planning.
For Smith, the moment represented the culmination of years of sacrifice, risk-taking and belief in a technology that many people initially misunderstood.
"If someone told me in 2020 that I'd be standing here talking about an international joint venture with a Canadian company, I would've laughed," Smith told attendees.
At the height of the pandemic, Smith was simply looking for ways to stay productive. Armed with a borrowed drone and what he jokingly described as a degree from the "University of YouTube," he began exploring the potential of drone technology.
What followed was a journey built almost entirely from personal savings, family support and determination.
"We had to bootstrap ourselves through savings, Jasmine's salary and a lot of very expensive drones," Smith said, crediting his wife for helping keep the dream alive.
From a single drone, Dragonfly has grown into a fleet of approximately 18 aircraft providing services ranging from aerial photography and inspections to advanced surveying, mapping and precision agriculture.
The company has also carved out a niche for itself by promoting STEM education and exposing young Guyanese to careers in emerging technologies through its annual Drone Girls | Drone Kids programme.
For Smith, that commitment to community development remains just as important as commercial success.
"This is for the little girl in Berbice, the little girl in Region One, the little girl in Corriverton who wants to be part of drones, precision agriculture or technology," he said. "This partnership is about creating opportunities."
The relationship that ultimately led to the joint venture began less than a year ago.
Representatives from Altomaxx first visited Guyana in November as part of an inbound investor mission supported by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry(GCCI).
During that trip, they met Smith and his team.
According to Altomaxx executive Steve Priestly, Dragonfly's story immediately resonated with them because it closely mirrored their own.
"When we first came to Guyana, we saw something special right away," Priestly said.
"It was Brian's passion and charisma, but also the fact that his company had grown organically, much like ours."
Altomaxx itself began in 2018 with a single drone purchased from a hobby shop in Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador province.
Today, the company operates in nearly 30 countries across six continents, providing advanced drone inspections, mapping and compliance services to major industries worldwide.
Priestly said the decision to partner with Dragonfly went beyond business opportunities.
"We chose Dragonfly because we're aligned on education, workforce development and creating local careers," he said.
"We don't just want to bring technology here. We want to transfer knowledge and help build the industry."
The newly formed venture, Altomaxx Offshore | Dragonfly, will combine Dragonfly's local knowledge with Altomaxx's international experience in industrial inspections, geospatial intelligence, remote sensing and advanced drone operations.
The company intends to support sectors including energy, infrastructure, maritime services and environmental management while creating opportunities for Guyanese workers to acquire internationally recognised skills.
Priestly noted that Altomaxx is globally recognised for specialised drone inspection and compliance services and plans to share that expertise with local professionals.
"We bring a unique skill set to the market, but our goal is knowledgetransfer," he said.
"If Guyanese companies grow, the industry grows, and we grow along with it."
Government and private sector representatives attending the launch praised the venture as an example of how local entrepreneurship can attract international partnerships.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, said the partnership demonstrates the importance of preparing Guyanese workers for an economy increasingly driven by technology and innovation.
Meanwhile, Kathy Smith, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described Dragonfly's growth as evidence of the resilience and ingenuity of Guyanese entrepreneurs.
The Chamber also highlighted that the connection between the two companies was facilitated through a GCCI-supported investor mission, underscoring the role of business-to-business engagement in creating opportunities for local firms.
For Smith, however, the significance of the moment goes beyond contracts and commercial expansion.
After building Dragonfly from the ground up during one of the most challenging periods in recent history, he sees the partnership as proof that Guyanese businesses can compete on the world stage.
"What began with a borrowed drone has evolved into an international joint venture focused on innovation, collaboration and creating opportunities for Guyanese talent," he said.
"And we're only getting started."
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