What happened
Fortune reported on 20 July 2016 that an 18-year-old had raised $2.8 million in seed funding for a drone start-up between high school classes. The company, Teal, launched the same day with a battery-powered, camera-equipped aircraft that reached 70 mph, priced at $1,299 and due to ship in early 2017. It came with three built-in applications: command and control, a follow-me mode and a game. The company had about 15 employees and contractors.
The research record lists a larger total, $5.8 million raised by the age of 19. The two figures are not necessarily in conflict, since the Fortune report captures the position in July 2016, but no source read for this page reconciles them, and the difference is flagged below.
How it started
He was born in San Diego and moved to Salt Lake City at 11, which is when the drones began. "I fell in love," he told Fortune. By middle school he had turned the hobby into work as a part-time test pilot for the manufacturer HorizonHobby, flying and assessing aircraft for a company while still at school.
That detail is what separates this record from the standard teen-founder story. He did not arrive at the industry with an idea; he arrived having already flown, broken and evaluated other people's products for several years.
Skipping college
The Thiel Fellowship pays young people $100,000 on the condition that they do not attend university, and Matus took it. Fortune reported that a venture capitalist, Mark Harris, who sat on his high school board, helped assemble the seed round.
In October 2016 TIME named him among its 30 Most Influential Teens, and Fortune included him in its 18 Under 18 list in September. He had also competed on ABC's BattleBots. "It's been a steep learning curve," he told Fortune, which is a restrained way of describing running a hardware company at 18.
What the product promised
A 70 mph consumer drone was an aggressive specification in 2016, when the market was dominated by slower camera platforms built for stability. The pitch was for something closer to a flying sports car: fast, durable and programmable, with apps on board rather than bolted on afterwards.
Hardware is unforgiving in ways software is not. A missed shipping date costs deposits and reputation, and Teal had promised delivery in early 2017. The sources gathered here do not record whether that date was met, which is the central open question in this record.
What is documented, and what is not
Firmly established: the drone hobby from 11, the test-pilot work in middle school, the launch of Teal on 20 July 2016, the 70 mph aircraft at $1,299, $2.8 million in seed funding, the $100,000 Thiel Fellowship, and the TIME and Fortune listings of 2016.
Not established here: his date of birth, the reconciliation of the funding figures, whether the drone shipped on time, and what he or the company have done since 2016. The research record gives a birth year of about 1998, consistent with being 18 in July 2016.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moziah Bridges | United States | Founding Mo's Bows at nine; NBA licensing deal for team bow ties | Age 9 |
| Bella Tipping | Australia | Every travel review site asked adults what they thought. Hers asked the ch | Age 13 |
| George Matus | United States | Founding the drone company Teal at 18 | Age 18 |
| Ollie Forsyth | United Kingdom | The Budding Entrepreneur Club, an invitation-only founders' network | Age 18 |
| Aryan Sharma | India | Co-founding Induced AI at 18 | Age 18 |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- He launched the drone company Teal on 20 July 2016 at 18 (Fortune)
- The first aircraft flew at 70 mph and was priced at $1,299
- He had raised $2.8 million in seed funding by July 2016 and held a $100,000 Thiel Fellowship
- He was named in TIME's 30 Most Influential Teens and Fortune's 18 Under 18 in 2016
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- No source read states his date of birth
- The research record's figure of $5.8 million raised by 19 is not reconciled with Fortune's $2.8 million
- No source records whether the drone shipped in early 2017 as promised
- Nothing documents his work after 2016
Questions people ask about George Matus
How old was George Matus when he founded Teal?
Eighteen. Fortune reported the launch and the funding on 20 July 2016.
How much did he raise?
Fortune reported $2.8 million in seed funding in July 2016. The research record lists $5.8 million raised by 19; the sources read here do not reconcile the two figures.
How fast was the Teal drone?
70 mph, priced at $1,299, with shipping promised for early 2017.
Did he go to university?
No. He took a $100,000 Thiel Fellowship, which is awarded on the condition that the recipient does not attend college.
When did he start with drones?
At 11, after moving to Salt Lake City, and he was working as a part-time test pilot for HorizonHobby by middle school.
Is George Matus on Wikipedia?
The research record found no standalone Wikipedia article about him.
Where is George Matus now?
No source gathered for this page documents his work after 2016.
Quick quiz: how well do you know George’s story?
What was the top speed of Teal's first drone?
What did the Thiel Fellowship require?
What job did George Matus have in middle school?
Sources
- This Teenage Entrepreneur Raised $2.8 Million for His Drone Startup In-Between High School Classes — Fortune, 2016-07-20
- 18 Under 18: Meet the Young Innovators Who Are Changing the World — Fortune, 2016-09-15
- The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016 — TIME, 2016-10-19
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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