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.
Evidence notes
- 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.
Company context
Natilus develops blended-wing autonomous cargo aircraft intended to move freight with more usable volume and lower operating cost than conventional tube-and-wing designs. Founded in San Diego in 2016, the company has progressed through subscale flight testing while developing larger regional and long-range cargo variants. Its programme combines novel airframes, autonomous flight systems and cargo-focused ground operations.