A Mountain View startup has just raised US$115 million so cargo planes can start their engines, taxi, take off and land with the help of a certifiable autopilot. Here is what stands behind Reliable Robotics, one of the most serious bets in autonomous aviation.

A round that pushes valuation past a billion dollars

The company extended its Series D with US$90 million in equity, led by Nimble Partners, plus US$25 million in debt from Silicon Valley Bank. The Series D now totals US$275 million and the overall amount raised reaches US$380 million. After almost a decade of work, the company is valued at more than US$1 billion.

Two SpaceX veterans are in charge: CEO Robert Rose, who also worked at Tesla and Google, and CTO Juerg Frefel. Their approach is unusual: rather than designing a new aircraft, they install their technology on planes that already exist.

A staged path with the FAA

The first product is a continuous autopilot system. It handles engine startup, taxiing, takeoff and landing while a pilot stays in the cockpit and supervises through a touchscreen. The company expects FAA certification within 18 to 24 months.

Next would come a system that moves the pilot to a ground control station, a milestone at least three years away. In parallel, the company built its own solid-state collision-avoidance radar, with no moving parts, longer range and higher resolution. It did so because traditional suppliers turned the project down, and it aims to certify the radar by the end of 2027.

Real operations and an airline of its own

The technology does not live only in the lab. Reliable Airlines, based in Albuquerque, hauls cargo six days a week with six Cessna Caravans. For it to operate autonomously, the FAA will also need to certify the airline’s operations, a process separate from the technology itself.

Rose described the moment cautiously: the team is making steady progress and delivering evidence to the regulator every day. Nimble Partners founder John Burbank said the project is a far bigger opportunity than building a single aircraft.

Why it matters

Aviation is among the most regulated industries on the planet, so every step demands flawless software, rigorous validation and meticulous engineering. It is a reminder that real automation is built with professional development, testing and traceability, not shortcuts.

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Source: TechCrunch.