Skyryse Lands Another $300m To Make Flying, Even Helicopters, Simple And Safe

Skyryse, an El Segundo, California-based aviation automation startup, has raised much than $300 cardinal successful a Series C investment, pushing its valuation to $1.15 cardinal and into unicorn territory.

The round, which was announced Tuesday and led by Autopilot Ventures, provided a multi-million-dollar accelerant for nan startup arsenic it nears nan extremity of a lengthy Federal Aviation Administration certification process for its formation power system. The superior will besides beryllium utilized to merge its operating system, known arsenic SkyOS, crossed galore aircraft, including U.S. subject Black Hawk helicopters.

Other investors successful this information see Fidelity Management & Research Company, ArrowMark Partners, Atreides Management LP, BAM Elevate, Baron Capital Group, Durable Capital Partners, Positive Sum, Qatar Investment Authority, RCM Private Markets Fund managed by Rokos Capital Management, and Woodline Partners. The startup, which was founded successful 2016, has raised much than $605 cardinal successful equity capital.

Skyryse has made inroads pinch investors arsenic good arsenic nan U.S. military, emergency aesculapian work operators, rule enforcement, and backstage operators for its simplified formation system. The startup has stripped retired dozens of mechanical formation controls for illustration gauges and switches and replaced them pinch a strategy containing respective formation computers that automate nan much analyzable and vulnerable aspects of flying.

This is not a afloat autonomous system; a aviator must still grip nan operations. But it’s designed to automate nan trickiest aspects of flying, heighten nan skills of pilots, and amended safety.

That simplicity and easiness of cognition — a literal swipe of nan digit connected a touchscreen — has won complete companies for illustration United Rotorcraft, Air Methods, and Mitsubishi Corporation, which person contracts pinch Skyryse to merge SkyOS connected a assortment of helicopters and airplanes.

Skyryse started building and testing its strategy connected helicopters, 1 of nan astir unstable craft to operate. But nan thought is that SkyOS tin beryllium be applied to immoderate aircraft. That first operating system, known arsenic Skyryse One, automates takeoff and landing and afloat automates hover and engine-out emergency landings. The institution has since integrated nan operating strategy connected Black Hawk helicopters.

Skyryse has made advancement connected its certification process pinch nan Federal Aviation Administration. Last year, nan FAA granted last creation support for nan company’s SkyOS formation power computers. Skyryse must now complete general formation testing and verification to execute afloat certification.