Reliable Robotics has secured $115 million in new financing, pushing the autonomous aviation startup past a $1 billion valuation as it works to gain Federal Aviation Administration approval for technology that automates aircraft operation, according to TechCrunch. The Mountain View, California-based company, founded by former SpaceX engineers, has spent nearly a decade developing systems that can be installed on existing planes to enable autonomous flight. The fresh capital extends its Series D round and gives the startup more time to navigate the lengthy certification process required in one of the world's most heavily regulated industries.
The latest financing includes $90 million in equity led by Nimble Partners and $25 million in debt from Silicon Valley Bank, bringing the Series D total to $275 million and the company's lifetime fundraising to $380 million. Other backers include Gideon Strategic Partners, RockCreek, Geek Ventures, Gold Hill Capital, and Sparkwave Capital. The company operates Reliable Airlines, a cargo carrier based in Albuquerque that flies six Cessna Caravan aircraft six days per week. Reliable is pursuing four separate FAA certifications linked to its autonomous flight ambitions, starting with a continuous autopilot engagement system that handles engine startup, taxiing, takeoff, and landing while a pilot remains onboard interacting with the system via touchscreen.
CEO Robert Rose, who previously directed flight software at SpaceX and worked at Tesla and Google, said the startup is "inching closer and closer" to certification as it delivers evidence to the FAA, with approval of the first system expected within 18 to 24 months. A second certification that removes the pilot from the cockpit and places them at a ground-control station is at least three years away, according to Rose. The company has also developed its own solid-state collision-avoidance radar after legacy suppliers declined to take on the project. Unlike conventional radar systems that use moving antennas to scan airspace, Reliable's radar has no moving parts, scans at longer range and higher resolution, costs less, and is easier to maintain, Rose said. He expects that radar to gain certification by the end of 2027.
The approach reflects a broad strategic bet that autonomous flight technology can eventually be adopted across the aviation industry rather than confined to a single aircraft model. Nimble Partners founder John Burbank noted that the company had "a really big vision nine years ago" and is building a system that can work on any airframe. Once the first certification is approved, Burbank said, "everyone will realize this is going to be the path for the industry, just as we're seeing the path for the auto industry being autonomous." Reliable must also gain separate FAA certification for its airline operations, which will make it the first carrier authorized to use autonomous flying technology. The startup's focus on retrofitting existing aircraft rather than designing new planes from scratch gives it a wider potential market but requires navigating the complexity of certifying technology for multiple airframe types. The question facing investors and industry observers is whether the regulatory pathway proves sustainable as complexity scales beyond a single aircraft model, and whether customer demand for pilotless cargo and passenger flights materializes once the technology is approved.