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 has successfully closed a $37 million Series A funding round to accelerate the production of its electric autonomous Pelican aircraft and boost research and development, building on over $320 million in commercial agreements.
The Pelican is the world's first commercially certified autonomous electric crop-spraying airplane, known for its high efficiency, advanced sensing systems, and significantly lower operating costs compared to piloted aircraft, with future plans for cargo operations.
Currently operating complex agricultural tasks internationally, Pyka is expanding its global presence through partnerships and working with the FAA to bring its sustainable autonomous aviation technology to 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.