About Us
You Little Ripper
Ripper Corp, established in 2015, is a corporation committed to driving the future of drones. Our name and ethos are inspired by the quintessentially Aussie phrase, “You Little Ripper!”
Ripper
// (Britain, Australia, slang) Very good; excellent; fantastic
We’re using our expertise in UAVs to pave the way in the industry and bring about change. We believe the name “Ripper” perfectly captures the spirit of our team and company.
TRUSTED BY LEADING COMPANIES, INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
We’re making waves in search and rescue
Ripper Corp was founded on the belief that drones have the potential to do even more. By using UAVs to remotely assess and monitor dangerous situations such as surf life saving rescues and natural disasters, we are able to streamline and accelerate these rescue efforts.
We’ve created some strong partnerships
We cannot revolutionise an industry on our own, which is why we have strong partnerships in the areas where we hope to bring about change.
We’re an authorised DJI trainer
DJI is a leading drone company that is constantly at the forefront of developments in the UAV industry.
In addition to creating top-quality drone technology, DJI is also a leader in the technologies that support these devices.
Ripper Corp is proud to be an authorised trainer for DJI and to offer the UTC DJI Academy as part of our partnership.
Emergency Departments
We've partnered with local emergency departments such as the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the Queensland Police Service on search and rescue operations, leading to unprecedented efficiencies in these efforts.
WIRES Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation
WIRES is an Australian company dedicated to protecting and saving wildlife. Ripper Corp partnered with WIRES during the 2019-2020 bushfires as part of our mission to revolutionise search and rescue.
By using drone technology with infrared and thermal imaging, we were able to utilise heat sensors to search through bushland and identify wildlife in need.
The Ripper Rescue Alliance worked with WIRES to rescue animals such as koalas and kangaroos, significantly reducing search time from five hours to just 10 minutes.
Surf Life Saving Queensland
In 2021, we partnered with Surf Life Saving Queensland, which has been our most significant relationship to date.
This partnership has allowed us to further our efforts in revolutionising lifesaving and accelerate the development of our technology.
Surf Life Saving Queensland's vision is to achieve zero preventable deaths in Queensland's public waters.
Ripper Corp is built on more than just a desire to pioneer search & rescue
Our mission
It’s our mission to establish Ripper Corp as the market leader in drone search and rescue deployment, training, research and development.
Our vision
As a high-tech drone search and rescue company, Ripper Corp’s vision is to revolutionise the way lives are saved in marine environments around the world. We’re building our reputation as a response company for search and rescue.
Our First Rescue
From 2005, when our Ripper Group Founder, Kevin Weldon was first inspired by the capabilities of drones, our vision was to shake up the world of rescue using drone technology. That vision was kept alive by Weldon until he had the opportunity to sit next to Brian Hartzer, the then CEO of Westpac Bank, at the Helicopter Ball.
Hartzer immediately saw the same possibilities we did. With Westpac’s seed grant funding, Weldon then established The Ripper Group in 2015. We immediately got to work, developing a search and rescue service in Australia, using remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) with hi-tech AI capabilities.
Two years later, in January 2018, we did it. We achieved the first water rescue using drone technology. The Little Ripper Lifesaver drone helped save two teenage boys in wild surf at Lennox Head beach, roughly 750 kilometres north of Sydney.
The drone dropped a ‘rescue pod’, which self-inflated once hitting the water. The dramatic rescue at around 11:30am (AEDT) involved two people, who were able to stay on the beach: Surf Life Saving NSW’s Jai Sheridan, who flew the drone and a Little Ripper senior trainer. This marked what is believed to be the first time a drone was involved in ocean rescue globally.
Ready to join the future of drones?
Drones and drone technology are in an era of innovation. Ripper Corp is the team leading that innovation from the front. You can view our courses and their upcoming dates or request a callback to engage us for your drone operations.
