Natilus
About
About Natilus
Natilus uses a blended-wing configuration in which much of the aircraft body produces lift, creating a wider internal volume and reducing aerodynamic drag relative to a conventional tube-and-wing airframe. Its current KONA programme is an optionally piloted regional cargo aircraft designed for a payload of approximately 3.8 tonnes and operation from short or unimproved runways.
KONA is being developed under the FAA Part 23 framework for freight routes that cannot economically support larger aircraft. Natilus is also developing HORIZON EVO, a larger blended-wing passenger concept aimed at service in the early 2030s. KONA remains in the prototype and certification-development stage, with the company targeting construction and flight testing before commercial production rather than operating an active cargo fleet.
Products
- KONA
KONA
Funding
- 2026-02-10 - Series A - $28M - Natilus raises $28M Series A for full-scale KONA blended-wing aircraft
Natilus raised a $28 million Series A led by Draper Associates to complete manufacturing of its first full-scale KONA regional freighter prototype and continue HORIZON EVO development. - source: natilus.co
Investors
- Draper Associates - Lead - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- Flexport - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- Liquid 2 VC - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- New Vista Capital - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- Soma Capital - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- The Veterans Fund - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- Type One Ventures - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- VU Venture Partners - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
- Wave FX - Participant - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-02-10
Team
- Aleksey Matyushev - Co-Founder & CEO - Co-founded Natilus and leads its blended-wing cargo and passenger-aircraft programmes.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-02-10 - Funding - Natilus raises $28M Series A for full-scale KONA blended-wing aircraft
Type One Ventures, The Veterans Fund, Flexport, New Vista Capital, Soma Capital, Liquid 2 VC, VU Venture Partners and Wave FX participated. Natilus expected the full-scale KONA prototype to fly within 24 months of the announcement. The company was evaluating a 250,000-square-foot production site designed for 60 KONA aircraft per year; that capacity remained planned.
Source
Notes
Profile notes
- Natilus added a passenger aircraft while its original autonomous-cargo family remained developmental
reviewed 2026-07-20 - Natilus built its identity around remotely piloted blended-wing cargo aircraft and a large provisional order book before certification. It later introduced Horizon, a passenger design, while the cargo family remained developmental. The expansion does not validate the cargo orders or show that either aircraft is in airline service.
Source
Context
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Context tags
- Cargo UAV development and operations - Workflow - Official Kona page documents a regional cargo aircraft with autonomous capability in development. Source: https://natilus.co/kona/
- Autonomous flight - Capability - Primary company research supports this operating context.