Reliable Robotics has raised $115M in new funding to continue developing autonomous flight systems designed for integration into existing aircraft.
The company is currently pursuing FAA certification for its flight control technology, which aims to automate engine startup, taxiing, takeoff, and landing.
The firm expects to secure regulatory approval for these initial operations within the next two years, moving toward a future phase of remote ground-based flight control.
The funding expands the company’s fourth round of investment. Of the $115 million, $90 million is equity, led by Nimble Partners, and the remaining $25 million is a loan from Silicon Valley Bank. The round now totals $275 million, bringing Reliable Robotics’ total raised to $380 million. Other investors include Gideon Strategic Partners, RockCreek, Geek Ventures, Gold Hill Capital and Sparkwave Capital.
The company has been working for nearly a decade to bring its technology to commercial use, and co-founder and CEO Robert Rose said it is making steady progress and is nearing FAA approval.
The four parts of approval
Reliable Robotics is seeking approval in four parts. The first involves a system that takes care of starting the engines, moving the plane on the ground, taking off and landing. The pilot remains inside the aircraft and operates the system from a touchscreen. Rose estimates that this system could be approved within the next 18 to 24 months.
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In the second leg, the pilot will be transferred from the cockpit to a ground control station. Rose said approval for this is at least three years away.
Another is a radar system the company developed to prevent collisions. Reliable Robotics built it in-house after finding no traditional suppliers willing to take on the project. According to Rose, it has no moving parts, monitors the sky from a greater distance and in greater detail than conventional systems, and is cheaper and easier to maintain. He said it can also prevent collisions on the ground with other aircraft or infrastructure. The company expects the system to be approved by the end of 2027.
The fourth leg involves Reliable Airlines, which wants to become the first airline to be approved to use autonomous flight technology. It is based in Albuquerque and flies cargo six days a week with six Cessna Caravan aircraft. The FAA approves the equipment, but the airline's operation requires separate approval, based on different regulations.
John Burbank, founder of Nimble Partners, said Reliable's system could be used on a variety of aircraft models, not just one. Rose has worked as a flight software manager at SpaceX, as well as at Tesla and Google. Co-founder and CTO Juerg Frefel worked at SpaceX for nearly a decade as an engineer.
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