Eric Rutayisire, founder of Charis UAS, was introduced to drone technology by his mentor Kin Chan while studying at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Eric learned how to build drones and brought one home to Rwanda after graduating. He used it to take aerial footage of weddings and concerts before creating Charis UAS, Rwanda’s first licensed unmanned aircraft system (UAS) company, with cofounders Teddy Segore and Ingabire Muziga Mamy and a team that holds over forty years of combined experience in aviation. The company builds unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and provides drone solutions across sectors including agriculture, construction, energy, health, tourism and mining. It has used machine learning to identify mosquito breeding sites and undertake targeted drone insecticide spraying to reduce malaria transmission.

Charis UAS now operates in five countries in Africa and is focused on finding new ways to disrupt industries and bring drone services to more people. This means intensive research and even pilot projects done at no cost to the client to prove the efficacy of using a drone solution. Charis UAS also has plans to start manufacturing drones customized to meet the specific needs of the continent.

Charis UAS was initially self-funded by founder Eric Rutayisire, who used his tax refunds to cover startup costs. The business has since been self-sustaining thanks to its corporate and government contracts and has attracted other undisclosed investments. 

Main Photo by: Charis UAS Ltd