Bootstrapping Breakthroughs in AgTech

What if drones could revolutionize farming and empower growers worldwide—without a single dollar of venture capital? In this episode, Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio, shares how his team is transforming agriculture through autonomous drones, precision spraying, and farmer-first data insights. From crashing prototypes in sugarcane fields to revenue growth of  $20M+ in 2025, Arthur unpacks the grit, ingenuity, and strategy behind Helio’s bootstrapped success. Dive into the realities of modern farming, the race against nature, and how Hylio’s tech is clearing the “fog of war” in agriculture. Tune in to see how a drone innovator scaled without taking a dollar of VC funding—only on the latest episode!--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:0:00 – No VCs, just velocity2:14 – From drone dream to startup6:20 – Pivoting into agriculture10:35 – The modern farmer’s struggle14:34 – Triple Black Diamond startup20:54 – Overcoming drone failure rates26:55 – Data: the new differentiator31:12 – Surging demand, scaling fast36:13 – Bootstrapping with crowdfundingUseful links: Hylio’s website:     https://www.hyl.ioHylio’s LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/hylio/            Arthur Erickson’s linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-erickson/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/