Tesla-Backed Startup Aims for 1-Cent Drone Deliveries

Bengaluru-based drone firm raises $8.65 million in seed funding to pursue ultra-cheap delivery.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 05:00 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

Airbound’s TRT drone features a blended-wing-body, tail-sitter configuration. [Courtesy: Airbound]

Key Takeaways:

Indian startup Airbound secured over $8.5 million in seed funding from prominent tech leaders (Tesla, SpaceX, etc.) with the ambitious goal of achieving drone delivery costs as low as 1 cent.
Their TRT drone features a unique two-propeller, blended-wing-body design with a high payload-to-aircraft mass ratio, enabling significant energy efficiency and ultra-low operating expenses.
Airbound is currently piloting medical deliveries in India with Narayana Health and aims for widespread adoption by 2026, including expansion into broader logistics and the U.S. market.
This cost-disruptive model seeks to drastically lower current drone delivery expenses (averaging $13.50), potentially challenging existing operators despite potential U.S. regulatory hurdles for foreign firms.

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Senior leaders of Tesla, SpaceX, Anduril, and AI firm Physical Intelligence are pouring money into an Indian startup that believes it can unlock drone deliveries for as little as 1 cent.

Airbound, which is developing a blended-wing-body (BWB) tail-sitter drone called the TRT, on Tuesday announced it raised more than $8.5 million in seed funding. The startup’s aim is to lower drone delivery costs to the point that geographic distance becomes “irrelevant,” it said in a news release.