Matt Sweeny
{{short description|Australian American inventor, co-founder and CEO of Flirtey}}
Matthew Sweeny is an Australian-born American aviation and technology entrepreneur and inventor.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-17/australian-startup-flirtey-takes-on-google-in-drone-race/7416004|title=Australian start-up taking on Google, Amazon in drone delivery race|author=|date=17 May 2016|publisher=ABC}} He is the co-founder and CEO of Flirtey, a drone delivery service.
Education
Sweeny earned a bachelor's degree in international relations and philosophy from the University of Sydney.{{cn|date=December 2021}}
He became interested in unmanned aerial vehicles while studying economics in Shanghai, China on a scholarship and exchange program.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jlim/2014/09/08/drone-startup-flirtey-partners-with-the-university-of-nevada-reno-to-push-uav-delivery-forward/|title=Drone Startup Flirtey Partners with The University of Nevada, Reno To Push UAV Delivery Forward|first=Jason|last=Lim|date=|work=Forbes}} He built the prototype delivery drones in his dorm room.{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/tech/the-aussie-drone-company-revolutionising-a-multibilliondollar-industry/news-story/a0cfc488c877fb2b59e0e3d2751e47dd|title=The Aussie Drone Company Revolutionising A Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry|author=|date=31 March 2017|publisher=GQ}}
Career
After graduating, Sweeny co-founded Flirtey with Ahmed Haider and Tom Bass in 2013, as the first drone delivery service in the world.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2015/s4464064.htm |title=Game of Drones |publisher=Foreign Correspondent |date=17 May 2016 |access-date=28 July 2022 |author=Daniel, Zoe |author-link=Zoe Daniel}} He moved to the United States in 2014 and based his company in Reno, Nevada, because the city was chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration as one of six test sites for commercial drones.{{cite web|url=https://story.californiasunday.com/reno-drones|title=Reno: The biggest little drone city in the world?|author=Smiley, Lauren|date=5 October 2014|publisher=The California Sunday Magazine}} He partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno, established a Flirtey office on campus,{{cite web|url=https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/09/01/unr-conduct-drone-research-australian-company/14933873/|title=UNR to conduct drone research with Australian company|author=|date=September 2, 2014|publisher=Reno Gazette Journal}} and hired graduates from the university’s Unmanned Autonomous Systems program.{{cite web|url=https://newatlas.com/australian-drone-startup-flirtey-wings-overseas/33656/|title=Flirtey delivery drone startup spreads its wings|author=Lavars, Nick|date=4 September 2014|publisher=New Atlas}}
In 2014, Sweeny submitted evidence to the Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment Sub-Committee of the House of Lords European Union Committee On The Civilian Use of Drones in the EU.{{cite web|url=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/eu-sub-committee-b-internal-market-infrastructure-and-employment/civil-use-of-remotely-piloted-aircraft-systems-rpas/written/17472.html|title=Written evidence - Flirtey|author=|date=|website=data.parliament.uk}}
After moving Flirtey to the United States, Sweeny was selected in Y Combinator’s summer 2015 program.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/08/18/hardware-demo-day/|title=Hardware Demo Day|author=|date=August 18, 2015|publisher=Tech Crunch}}{{cite news|url=https://www.inc.com/tess-townsend/5-interesting-y-combinator-2015-summer.html|title=5 of the Most Interesting Startups From Y Combinator Demo Day|author=Townsend, Tess|newspaper=Inc.com |date=Summer 2015|publisher=Inc.}}
In 2018, Sweeny was included on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/22/flirtey-2018-disruptor-50.html|title=2018 Disruptor 50: No. 29 Flirtey|first=|last=|date=22 May 2018|publisher=CNBC}}
In 2023, Sweeny has directed the demise of his company with zero returns to investors.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{cite web |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/318252|title=This Pioneering Entrepreneur Shares Why You Should Study Philosophy Rather Than Business|date=9 August 2018 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweeny, Matt}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:University of Sydney alumni