A Nigerian startup, StareNow, is introducing a new form of brand visibility by using drones equipped with LED screens to display advertisements in the sky.
“Think of it like a digital canvas in the sky,” says Olawale Salami, CEO of StareNow. “Your brand doesn’t fight for attention. It becomes the moment everyone’s looking at.”
Founded to reshape outdoor advertising, StareNow deploys high-resolution digital screens via drones to project brand messages at large public gatherings, including concerts, sports events, and city festivals. This innovation, the company says, allows brands to move from competing for attention to becoming the centre of attention.
StareNow’s flying billboards are designed to reach spaces that traditional advertisements cannot. Unlike stationary billboards or digital ads that face saturation online, these sky-based displays move across locations, attracting large audiences on the ground.
“We are not just showing ads, we are learning in real-time,” says Philip Ade-Akanbi, Chief Business & AI Officer. “Campaigns can be refined on the fly, ensuring better performance and smarter marketing decisions.”
The drones are equipped with safety features and are licensed by regulatory authorities. Each drone flight is monitored in real time. According to the company, the innovation is not limited to visuals. A custom-built AI system also collects live data during displays. This includes information on crowd reactions, visibility levels, and user interactions such as QR code scans and online mentions.
The startup targets event organisers, stadium managers, concert promoters, and brand marketers. The goal is to help these partners deliver moments that audiences remember.
“We are not here to replace traditional ads,” says Gbeminiyi Laolu-Adewale, StareNow’s Board Chairman. “But let us face it, digital fatigue is real. Online ads are getting skipped, ignored, or blocked. Our displays do not just compete, they command attention.”
StareNow plans to expand beyond Nigeria into other African countries, the Middle East, and global markets. In the long term, the company is considering possibilities in space advertising.
“We’re already transforming the skyline,” says Salami. “But our vision goes beyond Earth. One day, we want to be the first to deliver open ads in space.”
StareNow is now seeking global partners and investors to scale its technology and operations. “This is only the beginning,” Salami says. “We want to light up the skies in every major city.”
