Growing up in a small town in Italy, Eugenio Donati had big dreams, which took him to Harvard University and have led to developing the first autonomous system designed specifically for aviation. Speaking at the 23rd GHI Annual Conference in Amsterdam, Donati talked about the company’s journey and where it will go.

Studying Economics at Harvard University, Donati had the opportunity to take classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) so he spent time at the International Center of Air Transportation (ICAT). Taking classes on airline economics, Donati learnt how airports and airlines function.

In spring 2020, Donati was unable to return to his native Italy, so he had plenty of time in his room to think about what to do with his future. Catching up with his friend, Raymond Wang, who is also very passionate about aviation, the two of them realised that there were huge opportunities providing automation to the ground handling sector so they agreed to start their own company in this area.

After graduating, the two of them moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, bought the cheapest used baggage tractor they could find and built the first prototype in their garage.