Funding advances the company's path toward FAA certification
Reliable Robotics has secured $115 million in additional financing, bringing its Series D round to $275 million and pushing its valuation above $1 billion. The Mountain View, California-based company has raised $380 million to date.
The financing includes $90 million in equity led by Nimble Partners and $25 million in debt from Silicon Valley Bank. Reliable Robotics is developing autonomous flight technology designed to work with existing aircraft, with certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a key milestone.
Its first system is designed to manage engine startup, taxiing, takeoff and landing while a pilot remains onboard and interacts with the technology through a touchscreen. CEO Robert Rose expects certification for this system in 18 to 24 months. A later stage would allow pilots to operate aircraft from a ground-control station, a milestone he estimates is at least three years away.
The company is also developing a solid-state collision-avoidance radar without moving parts. Reliable says the system can scan at longer range and higher resolution than conventional radar, and is designed to help detect hazards both in the air and on the ground. Rose expects certification by the end of 2027.
Reliable Robotics is pursuing separate approval for Reliable Airlines, its Albuquerque-based cargo operation, which flies six Cessna Caravan aircraft six days a week. The company's long-term aim is to make its autonomous flight system adaptable across aircraft types. If certification progresses as planned, the technology could help shape how aviation operations evolve.
