"The reason we started the company was safety," says founder and CEO
Manpreet Singh, founder and CEO of Drone Cleaning Company Inc., started his business with a singular mission: to revolutionize building cleaning by enhancing safety using drones.
While working for one of Canada’s big banks in an ivory tower in downtown Toronto, Singh was inspired by the sight of window cleaners risking their lives hanging from the side of the building—a method Singh considered outdated and dangerous.
"It didn’t make sense that we were still doing the same things that were done 100 years ago," he says.
Before launching the company in 2022, Singh had been deeply involved with drone technology, having worked on a drone delivery venture. He realized the potential drones had not only in logistics but also in tasks like window cleaning, where human workers were frequently exposed to hazards.
“The reason we started the company was safety," Singh emphasizes. His goal was simple: eliminate the need for workers to scale high-rise buildings while ensuring jobs were done faster, more efficiently, and with reduced costs.
Safety professionals may find Singh’s innovations particularly compelling because of how drones mitigate common workplace risks. Window cleaning has long been plagued by incidents related to scaffolding failures, lift malfunctions, and fatal falls. Singh points to a tragic incident that further motivated him: "There was an accident in Rexdale where a scaffold gave in, and two workers fell to their deaths. That stuck with me." This incident, among others, shaped his vision of replacing traditional methods with safer, drone-based solutions.
Singh acknowledges, however, adopting drone technology comes with its own challenges. "Drones are machines, and like any machine, they can malfunction," he says, citing potential issues such as electromagnetic interference and pilot errors. To mitigate these risks, Singh’s company prioritizes skilled, experienced drone operators and implements pre-flight safety checks, including signal testing. His team ensures that drones never fly over people and works closely with clients to understand and assess each site before commencing operations. "We built systems with pre-flight checklists and site assessments to minimize any unexpected risks," Singh explains.
Despite the benefits, Singh recognizes drones won’t replace traditional window cleaners entirely, at least not yet. Regulations by Transport Canada limit drones to specific altitudes and weights, which means that buildings over certain heights are still out of reach. "There are regulatory challenges and technological limitations. Right now, drones are manually piloted, and neck fatigue for operators flying at higher altitudes can be excruciating," Singh notes.
However, Singh is optimistic about the future. His company has already worked with major commercial clients, including hospitals and power stations, and he believes market adoption is imminent. "Market penetration will come, but right now, it’s about breaking that education barrier. People don’t know this technology exists," he says. His team is working to inform potential clients not only about the safety advantages but also about the environmental and efficiency benefits of using drones.
In just two years, Drone Cleaning Company Inc. has seen steady growth, with increasing inquiries from businesses across Canada. While Singh knows there are still limitations, he’s committed to pushing the boundaries of what drone technology can achieve. "Losing a drone is one thing, but losing a human being—that’s something you can’t replace," he says, underscoring the core reason he founded his company.
For safety professionals, Singh’s approach represents a significant step forward in reducing workplace hazards in the high-risk industry of window cleaning. As drone technology continues to evolve, Singh’s company is poised to lead the charge in making these innovations more accessible and widely adopted across Canada.
