California-based Pyka has secured $40m to advance the commercialisation of dual-use autonomous electric aircraft.

The series B funding should accelerate Pyka’s growth and scale production of its autonomous aircraft for agriculture, defence and commercial logistics.

Pyka is an electric aviation technology start-up that designs and manufactures large-scale autonomous electric aircraft.

The company is commercialising 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 defence logistics.

“This accomplishment is a significant milestone for Pyka,” said Michael Norcia, Pyka CEO. “We are designing, developing and commercialising 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 (www.flypyka.com) produces the largest commercially-approved uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) in the USA and maintains active commercial operations across the USA, Central America and Brazil. Its customers include players in the agriculture, commercial cargo and defence logistics value chains, such as Dole, Embraer, Sierra Nevada, Heinen Brothers Agra Services and Skyports Drone Services. In early 2024, Pyka delivered three aircraft to the UA Air Force as part of the Agility Prime programme.

The new investment should accelerate Pyka’s growth across its dual-use product line. On the commercial side, it will support further investment in Pyka’s domestic manufacturing capabilities, boost production of its Pelican Spray and Pelican Cargo products, and enable expanded operations with US and international customers. Additionally, the series B funds should advance the development of capabilities to support contested logistics operations for the US Department of Defense and allied partners.

The $40m series B funding round was led by Obvious Ventures, with participation from new and existing investors, including Piva Capital, Prelude Ventures, Metaplanet Holdings and Y Combinator.

“From the beginning, Pyka was focused on getting into the air and getting into business with commercial operations,” said Andrew Beebe, managing director at Obvious Ventures. “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 decarbonising one of the worst offenders in the world.”

Pelican Spray is a 600kg fully autonomous and 100% electric aircraft designed for complex agricultural operations. The aircraft combines spray precision and chemical drift reduction technologies to provide safe, clean and cost-effective crop protection at scale. It is the largest FAA-approved UAS for agricultural operations and said to be the most productive spray UAS on the market.

Pelican Cargo is a large-scale autonomous electric cargo aircraft capable of heavy-payload, long-range, and off-airport operation. The 100% electric aircraft can transport up to 180kg over a range of 320km. Pyka has partnered with Sierra Nevada to introduce Rumrunner, a modified edition of Pelican Cargo, to customers within the US Department of Defense for sustainment in contested logistics operations.

All Pyka’s products incorporate its proprietary autonomous flight engine and all-electric propulsion system to enable operations in complex environments without putting human operators in harm’s way.