Reliable Robotics, a Mountain View startup founded by SpaceX veterans, has raised $115M in an extension of its Series D round, reaching a valuation above $1B. The round includes $90M in equity led by Nimble Partners and $25M in debt from Silicon Valley Bank, bringing total funding to $380M. The company has spent nearly a decade developing autonomous flight systems that can be retrofitted onto existing aircraft.
CEO Robert Rose, a former SpaceX director of flight software, says the startup is moving closer to FAA certification. Reliable is pursuing certification on four fronts: continuous autopilot engagement for piloted aircraft, remote operation from ground-control stations, an in-house solid-state collision avoidance radar, and certification of Reliable Airlines, which currently flies cargo with six Cessna Caravans. Rose expects the first system, which handles engine startup, taxi, takeoff, and landing via a touchscreen, to be certified in 18 to 24 months; the ground-control system is at least three years away.
Reliable built its solid-state radar after legacy suppliers declined to take on the project. Unlike conventional moving-antenna radar, the solid-state design has no moving parts, scans farther and at higher resolution, and also works on the ground to prevent collisions. Rose expects radar certification by the end of 2027. Because there is only one source, no differing accounts to compare.