Connecting systems. Empowering people.
Dragonfly is built by Anisoptera, a team that has deployed physical AI on live industrial sites in the United States and South Africa.
What we believe.
The site already has the systems.
The missing piece is coordination, not another dashboard.
Intelligence must earn trust.
Recommendations first. One governed path to action. Everything logged.
Repeatable beats bespoke.
One platform, configured per industry, not a consulting project per site.
Why we built Dragonfly.
Every industrial site we walked onto had the same problem. The systems were already there, cameras, sensors, control systems, telemetry, but the answers weren't. A plant manager would argue for capital from a gut feel, because the data existed and the picture didn't.
We started Anisoptera to close that gap: to give the people who run physical operations one honest view of what's happening, and a safe way to act on it. Not another dashboard. A coordination layer that reads what a site already runs, speaks one language across all of it, and keeps a person in control of every action.
Proven on live sites.
Anisoptera has deployed physical AI on live industrial operations in recycling, mining, and utilities, across the United States and South Africa. Real equipment, real sites, real results, not a lab demo.
- 50+
- Active Deployments
- Worldwide
- +$1.5M
- Seed + Funding
- Raised in 2026
- 95%
- Client Satisfaction
- Industry Leading
- 2
- Global Offices
- USA & South Africa
Leadership team
Meet the team building physical AI for live industrial sites.
Sam Ares
Co-founder & CEO
Visionary leader with expertise in AI and Engineering, driving Anisoptera's mission to democratize Edge AI.
LinkedIn
Sean Kelly
Co-founder & CTO
Technology architect with deep expertise in computer vision and edge computing infrastructure.
LinkedIn
Matt Sutton-Grobler
Senior Product Manager
Product leader with an industrial engineering background, focused on delivering customer value throughout the Dragonfly platform.
Dragos Stan
Computer Vision Engineer
Edge AI Expert focused on developing cutting-edge computer vision technology for edge deployment.
LinkedIn
Aaron Sheldon
Senior Software Engineer
Full-stack engineer specializing in scalable platform architecture and real-time systems.
LinkedInOur journey
From proof of concept to global impact, here's how we've built Dragonfly.
Q3 2021
Proof of Concept
Initial development and validation of the Dragonfly platform concept
Q1 2022
Company Formation & Microsoft Partnership
- Anisoptera (Pty) Ltd established in South Africa
- Accepted into Microsoft Founders Hub (Microsoft Start Up program)
Q2 2022
Dragonfly Platform Developed
Core platform built and launched with initial deployments
Q1 2023
US Expansion
Anisoptera Inc established in Cincinnati, USA - Expanding to the United States market
Q2 2023
Industry Recognition
- Grant Winners of Main Street Ventures
- Top 10 Winner of SAB Foundation Innovation Award
Q3 2024
Winner of the FNF GreenPitch Challenge
Recognized as a leading green technology solution
Q4 2024
Seed Round $1M Closed
Successfully raised seed funding to accelerate growth and expand operations
Q4 2024
Panelist for the Earthshot Prize
Contributing expertise to global sustainability initiatives
Awards & recognition
Recognized by industry leaders for innovation and sustainability
FNF GreenPitch Challenge Winner
FNF · Q3 2024
Proud winners recognized for innovative AI-driven sustainability solutions
SAB Foundation Innovation Award
SAB Foundation · Q2 2023
Top 10 Winner - Recognized for groundbreaking innovation in waste management
Main Street Ventures Grant Winner
Main Street Ventures · Q2 2023
Selected for grant funding to support business growth and innovation
Microsoft Founders Hub
Microsoft · Q1 2022
Accepted into Microsoft's prestigious startup program
Earthshot Prize Panelist
The Earthshot Prize · Q4 2024
Contributing expertise to global environmental solutions
Work with us.
We work alongside global consulting and enterprise technology partners to bring physical AI to industrial operations.