Pyka, an electric aviation technology leader that designs and manufactures large-scale autonomous electric aircraft, announced a $40M Series B raise. The funding round was led by Obvious Ventures, with participation from both new and existing investors, including Piva Capital, Prelude Ventures, Metaplanet Holdings, and Y Combinator.
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Pyka is rapidly commercializing autonomous electric aircraft by applying its technology to many of the world’s most critical flight missions, including agricultural crop protection, commercial cargo transportation, and defense logistics.
Michael Norcia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Pyka said, “This accomplishment is a significant milestone for Pyka, We are designing, developing, and commercializing autonomous electric aircraft at a pace that few companies have been able to achieve. With commercial production well underway, and our aircraft deployed with customers on multiple continents, we are extremely proud of the progress we’ve made as a company thus far. This round of funding brings us one step closer to unlocking autonomous electric flight for society.”
The company currently produces the largest commercially-approved uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) in the United States and maintains active commercial operations across the U.S., Central America, and Brazil. Pyka’s portfolio of customers includes key players in the agriculture, commercial cargo, and defense logistics value chains, such as Dole, Embraer, Sierra Nevada Company, Heinen Brothers Agra Services, and Skyports Drone Services. In early 2024, Pyka delivered three aircraft to the United States Air Force as part of the Agility Prime program.
The new investment will accelerate it’s growth across its dual-use product line. On the commercial side, it will support further investment in it’s domestic manufacturing capabilities, boost production of its Pelican Spray and Pelican Cargo products, and enable expanded operations with both U.S. and international customers. Additionally, the Series B funds will advance the development of new capabilities to support contested logistics operations for the U.S. Department of Defense and allied partners.
Andrew Beebe, Managing Director at Obvious Ventures said, “From the beginning, Pyka was focused on getting into the air and getting into business with commercial operations. Their cost-effective mindset and discipline caught our attention, And what got us really excited was the passion of the team and their mission-driven focus on electrifying aviation and decarbonizing one of the worst offenders in the world.”
About Pyka
Pyka is defining the future of safe, environmentally-friendly, and cost-effective aviation with autonomous electric airplanes for crop protection and cargo delivery. Pyka’s proprietary technology includes autonomous flight control software, flight computers, high energy density batteries, advanced electric propulsion systems, and carbon composite airframes.
