Miami startup’s future hinges on people looking up and drones shining bright
LunaLite co-founder Adrian Allen has been captivated by technology and how he could use it to tell unique stories. Running the only registered droneshow company in South Florida, he plans on using drones to make it happen.
“The foundation of our business is storytelling,” Allen said. “For two decades, we’ve been telling stories in the entertainment space. Drones have been a part of that storytelling. LunaLite will be focused on telling stories in the sky.”
LunaLite operates from the WeWork Wynwood co-working space and has an eight-person team that it hopes to expand by 30%-50% this year. The growth matches trends. Market research shows the drone light-show market was valued at $2.6 billion in 2020 and will have a projected value of $12.3 billion by 2028.
LunaLite operates from the WeWork Wynwood co-working space and has a team of eight employees that it hopes to scale 30% to 50% in the coming year. The expansion of the LunaLite team matches research trends. Market research shows the drone light show market was valued at $2.6 billion in 2020 and will have a projected value of $12.3 billion by 2028.
Allen emigrated to the United States from Jamaica in 1997 to study at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where he received a bachelor’s degree in digital film and digital media. As a founder of the Miami VR and AR Expo, he has spent the last two decades using cutting-edge technology to create content for clients that include MasterCard, Google, the Barbados Tourism Board and the Florida Department of Transportation.
Allen said drone work falls into categories as varied as content creation and military purposes. At LunaLite, the emphasis will be on drone light-show technology. For a given event, 200 LunaLite drones can work in alignment to create a stunning visual experience that will use lighting and effects to illustrate words, phrases or designs in the sky. Initially, only one drone was used at a time, but technological advancements have made it possible for 200 drones to be used for an event. Allen aspires to have a fleet of 2,000 drones.
A chance encounter in a nightclub connected Allen with LunaLite co-founder Arturo Lorde. Arturo is a native of Panama and came to the United States as a small child, settling with his mother in California. To keep Arturo out of trouble, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents and uncle in Florida. It was there that he learned about entrepreneurship and began his journey as a creative professional.
“My uncle asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up,” Arturo said. “He always spoke to me about being an entrepreneur. I told him I liked taking pictures, and made money doing it in high school.”
In 2012, drone technology became more accessible to visual professionals as a storytelling tool. Allen and Lorde helped lead the movement of South Florida professionals implementing drones into their workflow. With the help of drones, they have been able to create interactive lightshow experiences that can last up to 12 minutes.
As LunaLite establishes itself in the South Florida market, Allen plans for the company to work in the Caribbean and Central and South America and eventually expand worldwide. In February, the company will work with an event in Trinidad and Tobago. Safety is a top priority for Allen, as well as continuing to learn about drones and advances in their technology.
To other minority entrepreneurs, Arturo advises them to become business savvy.
“My advice that I’d give any person learning from experience is, if you start your business and do all the necessary and right steps, establish that business credit,” he said. “The better biz credit for yourself, the more leverage you’d have to do whatever it is you want to do. Use your business as an asset to help you do what you want to do.”
Michael Butler: @mikeviimusic