Pyka Secures $37M in Series A Funding to Accelerate Aircraft Deliveries and R&D

This autonomous airplane manufacturer is making progress with FAA toward a commercial exemption to operate in the U.S.

Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 04:03 PM ET

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Pyka developed the world's first and only commercially certified autonomous electric airplane, the Pelican. [Courtesy: Pyka]

Key Takeaways:

Pyka, an electric autonomous airplane manufacturer, closed a $37 million Series A funding round to accelerate production of its Pelican aircraft and boost research and development, backed by over $320 million in commercial agreements.
The Pelican is the world's first commercially certified autonomous electric airplane, primarily used for efficient, precise crop-spraying, with a design being modified for 200-mile radius cargo operations.
Operating in several countries and partnered with EmbraerX for expansion, Pyka is actively seeking FAA approval to extend its commercial operations into the U.S. market.

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Pyka, an electric autonomous airplane manufacturer, has closed on a $37 million Series A funding round that will allow the startup to fast track the production of its Pelican aircraft to committed buyers and beef up its research and development.

This comes after an $11 million seed round in 2019. This most recent round was led by Piva Capital—a venture firm in San Francisco that invests in companies that offer cross-industry technological solutions—and Prelude Ventures, whose mission is to support companies addressing climate change.