The winner of the inaugural The Australian Financial Review Energy Award for Innovation had a tragic genesis. But Powerlink hopes it will show others the benefits of embracing change.

Cameron Van Der Berg, is the co-founder and CEO of Infravision, an international startup that revolutionizes power line installation and maintenance using drone technology. His company connects wind and solar power stations to the grid, reducing the need for environmentally damaging methods like tree cutting and close-proximity helicopter operations.

Infravision, a company accelerating power grid modernization with drone-enabled power line upgrades, today announced it has raised $23 million in Series A financing.