Top 6 Autonomous aviation startups

Nov 08, 2025
By Siddhant Patel
These startups develop AI autopilots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones that can perform various aviation tasks, including aerial surveillance, cargo delivery, inspection and mapping.
1
Volocopter
Country: Germany | Funding: $780.6M
Volocopter is an urban air mobility company that develops eco-friendly air taxis to transport people and autonomous cargo drones.
2
Wisk
Country: USA | Funding: $450M
Wisk is an urban air-mobility company on a mission to leave traffic on the ground and make sustainable flight a reality for everyday life.
3
Reliable Robotics
Country: USA | Funding: $133.5M
Reliable Robotics provides advanced automation systems for aircraft.
4
Merlin Labs
Country: USA | Funding: $133.5M
Merlin Labs develops autonomous flight system designed to be installed in existing aircraft.
5
Pyka
Country: USA | Funding: $88.1M
Pyka makes technologies that make aviation safer, more affordable, and more accessible than has ever been possible in human history. The company produces autonomous cargo planes.
6
XWING
Country: USA | Funding: $54M
XWING develops the suite of technologies for pilotless commercial flight of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing aircraft.
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  See also:
Top 42 Machine Learning startups
Market Landscape for AI Startups
Top 10 Countries by number of AI Startups
Editor: Siddhant Patel
Siddhant Patel is a senior editor for AI-Startups. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web. Siddhant has a special interest in artificial intelligence and has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the industry. Siddhant graduated from the Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru). When he’s not writing, Siddhant is also a developer and has a deep historical knowledge of the computer industry for the past 50 years. You can contact Siddhant at sidpatel(at)ai-startups(dot)pro