Feb 3 (Reuters) – U.S. aviation technology company Skyryse said on Tuesday it raised $300 million in a funding round that valued it at $1.15 billion.
The series C round was led by Autopilot Ventures and returning investor Fidelity Management & Research Company, with participation from ArrowMark Partners and Qatar Investment Authority, among others.
Investor interest is rising in autonomous flight systems designed to reduce pilot workload and operational costs while improving safety, which is expected to drive stronger demand for such technologies.
Founded in 2016, Skyryse provides software-and-hardware aviation solutions and has developed SkyOS, a flight system that replaces conventional mechanical controls with a simplified interface to make aircraft easier and safer to fly, especially in emergencies and poor weather.
The company said the fresh capital will be used to complete Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification and expand deployment of SkyOS across additional aircraft types.
The FAA in 2025 granted final design approval for Skyryse’s flight control computers, leaving flight verification as the only formal step before certification, the company said.
Skyryse has demonstrated its system on multiple aircraft, including the Black Hawk helicopter, where it performed automated hover, lift-off and landing maneuvers.
The company said it has secured SkyOS integration partnerships across military, emergency medical, firefighting, law enforcement and private aviation operators.
Aircraft that are slated for integration with SkyOS include Airbus H125, Bell 407, the Pilatus PC-12 and others, through partnerships with operators such as United Rotorcraft, Air Methods and Mitsubishi Corporation, among others.
(Reporting by Prakhar Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
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