What Pyka does

Pyka, Inc. is a privately held autonomous electric aircraft manufacturer founded in 2017 and headquartered in a 110,000 sq. ft. facility at Alameda Point, California. The company designs, develops, and manufactures large-scale fully autonomous aircraft for three primary end markets: commercial agriculture (Pelican Spray and the next-generation Pelican 2 for autonomous aerial crop protection), commercial cargo (Pelican Cargo for zero-emission logistics), and defense/government (DropShip and the RUMRUNNER variant co-developed with Sierra Nevada Company for contested logistics). Pyka's underlying platform is a vertically integrated autonomy stack comprising Pyka.OS (a real-time bare-metal operating system running on a custom FPGA + SoC + NVIDIA Jetson architecture), Pyka.Perception (LiDAR-first sensor fusion), Pyka.FlightControl (predictive fault response), Pyka.PathPlanning (real-time onboard trajectory optimization), and Pyka.Sim (end-to-end simulation). Pyka builds most mission-critical hardware in-house, including proprietary batteries, motors, motor controllers, carbon-fiber composite airframes, electric rotary atomizers, and a custom turbo-diesel hybrid drivetrain for DropShip.

Name

Pyka

Legal name

Pyka Inc.

Website

https://flypyka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pyka designs and manufactures large-scale autonomous electric aircraft for agriculture, cargo, and defense. The company sells Pelican 2 crop protection aircraft, Pelican Cargo logistics UAS, and DropShip heavy-lift platforms, built on a proprietary autonomy stack.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autonomous Electric Aircraft

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special-Mission Fixed-Wing Aircraft Manufacturing (ISR, AEW&C, Patrol) (IMABAAAH), UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL), Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK)

Keywords

• Autonomous electric aircraft
• Crop protection drones
• Heavy-lift cargo UAS
• Unmanned aerial application
• Autonomous aviation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Hardware Sales (Pelican 2): Direct sale of new Pelican 2 autonomous electric crop protection aircraft at a starting price of USD $550,000 per unit. Includes 5 sets of batteries (15 packs), charge cart, and 2 weeks of pilot training. Customers purchase direct from Pyka, through U.S. distributor Heinen Brothers/Kelly Hills, or through Brazilian distributor Synerjet. Orders of 60 aircraft (Synerjet) and 20 aircraft (Brazil landmark order) demonstrate scale of hardware sales.
2. Defense & Government Aircraft Sales / Leasing (DropShip, Pelican Cargo): Sales and leasing of large-scale autonomous cargo UAS (DropShip, Pelican Cargo) to defense and government customers, including U.S. Air Force (AFWERX Agility Prime program — 3 Pelican Cargo lease), U.S. Air Force SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract for DropShip, and ADS partnership for federal/DoD distribution.
3. Distributor & Channel Partner Sales: Resale and distribution agreements with regional aviation partners: Synerjet (Brazil — 60-aircraft firm order, signed July 2025, deliveries beginning August 2025) and Heinen Brothers Agra Services/Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems (U.S. distributor, first Pelican 2 deliveries following September 2025 announcement). Distributors provide sales, training, and technical support.
4. Training, Technical Support & After-Sales Services: Distributors (Synerjet, Heinen Brothers) and Pyka provide training, technical support, and aftermarket services to growers adopting the Pelican platform. Pelican 2 ships with 2 weeks of pilot training included.
5. Strategic Defense Partnerships & Modified Platforms: Co-development and customization of cargo UAS platforms for defense/government customers through partners like Sierra Nevada Company (RUMRUNNER — modified Pelican Cargo for DoD contested logistics) and ADS (U.S. Government distribution). Includes licensing and modification revenue tied to platform variants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pyka designs, manufactures, and sells fully autonomous electric fixed-wing aircraft for two markets: agricultural aerial crop protection (Pelican Spray, Pelican 2) and heavy-lift cargo/defense logistics (Pelican Cargo, DropShip, and the DoD-targeted RUMRUNNER variant). Nearly all mission-critical hardware and the autonomy software stack (Pyka.OS, FlightControl, Perception, PathPlanning, Sim, Comms, GUI) are developed in-house, and aircraft are built at Pyka's 110,000 sq. ft. Alameda, CA facility.

Product overview

Pyka's offering is a vertically integrated, platform-plus-aircraft product architecture: a common proprietary autonomy and hardware stack powers a portfolio of differentiated autonomous electric aircraft. The autonomy stack centers on Pyka.OS (a real-time bare-metal operating system running on custom FPGA + SoC) alongside Pyka.Perception, Pyka.FlightControl, and Pyka.PathPlanning, complemented by a Mission Control suite (Pyka.Sim, Pyka.Comms, Pyka.GUI) and in-house propulsion, avionics, airframe, ground equipment, and payload hardware. This platform underpins three named aircraft lines: Pelican Spray and its next-generation successor Pelican 2 (autonomous electric agricultural spray aircraft, of which Pelican 2 is the world's largest at 300 L payload) for crop protection; Pelican Cargo (the world's largest zero-emission autonomous cargo airplane, also delivered to AFWERX and offered to the U.S. DoD as RUMRUNNER via SNC); and DropShip (a next-generation long-range, heavy-lift, multi-mission hybrid-propulsion UAS for defense, logistics, and humanitarian missions with up to 3,500-mile ferry range and precision airdrop). Pelican 2, Pelican Cargo, and DropShip are the current production offerings built on the same underlying autonomy and propulsion technology that has logged over 10,000 commercial flights across agriculture and logistics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pelican Spray: Autonomous electric crop protection / aerial application aircraft, the original Pelican product configured for agricultural spraying.
• Pelican 2
• Pelican Cargo
• DropShip
• RUMRUNNER

Products and services

• Pelican 2 Next-generation autonomous electric crop protection aircraft and the world's largest autonomous agricultural aircraft. Features a 300-liter payload, up to 100 hectares/hour work rate, 20-meter swath width, four-motor electric propulsion (100 kW combined), hot-swappable lithium-ion battery sets for 24/7 operation, LiDAR and RADAR for day-and-night spraying, and direct operating costs as low as ~$1 per hectare. Starting price USD $550,000 per aircraft.
• Pelican Spray World's first fully autonomous, 100% electric crop protection aircraft for safer, cleaner, and more cost-effective aerial application. Powered by electric motors with redundant batteries, capable of taking off in as little as 450 feet and spraying up to 130 acres per hour at a fraction of piloted-aircraft operating costs.
• Pelican Cargo World's largest zero-emission autonomous electric cargo airplane and the first autonomous vehicle of its class. Transports up to 400 lbs over a range of up to 200 miles with 66 cubic feet of cargo volume via a nose-loading system with a sliding cargo tray. Sold for commercial logistics and offered to the U.S. DoD as the RUMRUNNER variant via SNC.
• DropShip Next-generation long-range, heavy-lift autonomous aircraft for contested logistics, defense, and multi-mission operations. Features hybrid propulsion, modular open architecture, and precision airdrop. Specifications include a 1,600 lb max takeoff weight, 650 lb max usable payload, 3,500-mile max ferry distance, 1,000+ mile range with 500 lb cargo, 40+ hour endurance with a 50 lb ISR load, and 550 ft takeoff distance with max payload. Validated to autonomously deliver multiple 200-pound payloads from 300 ft altitude landing within 50 ft of target.
• RUMRUNNER Defense-modified edition of Pyka's Pelican Cargo developed jointly with Sierra Nevada Company (SNC) for the U.S. Department of Defense. Features high-thrust super-short takeoff and landing (SSTOL), up to 400 lb payload, and up to 200 mile range for contested logistics operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct operating costs as low as ~$1 per hectare for crop protection
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship grant partner for california zero-emission aviation demonstration project, major demonstration host site partner, project partner, core u.s. government channel partner, flagship defense partner, flagship u.s. distributor, flagship brazil distributor, core u.s. dod customization partner, core uk launch customer & service partner, strategic latin america customer and flagship strategic aerospace partner.

• Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC)flagship grant partner for california zero-emission aviation demonstration projectStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Partnership on California Zero-Emission Aviation Demonstration Project (April 15, 2026), funded by California Climate Investments through CARB SHIFT program and CEC. Deploys Pyka's Pelican 2 at Victoria Island Farms. Includes workforce development with NPower California and BACCC. Other partners: Ogive Technology, Inc., NPower California, Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC), Victoria Island Farms.
• Victoria Island Farmsmajor demonstration host site partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Host site partner on the California Zero-Emission Aviation Demonstration Project (April 15, 2026). Pyka's all-electric Pelican 2 will operate under FAA approvals for agricultural operations at Victoria Island Farms in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
• Ogive Technology, Inc.project partnerTechnology or Integration · 15 April 2026Technology partner on the California Zero-Emission Aviation Demonstration Project (April 15, 2026), funded by California Climate Investments via CARB SHIFT program and CEC.
• ADScore u.s. government channel partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 October 2025Established collaboration (October 20, 2025) for future opportunities to equip U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Agencies, and First Responders with DropShip. ADS is the leading provider of operational equipment to U.S. DoD, Federal Agencies, and First Responders (28+ years). Michael Paulk, Director of Aerospace Market Sales for ADS, leads the relationship.
• AFWERX (U.S. Air Force)flagship defense partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025Selected by AFWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II (D2P2) SBIR focused on DropShip, a long-range, multi-mission cargo UAS platform addressing most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force. Development started September 25, 2025. Earlier Agility Prime program partnership with 3-aircraft Pelican Cargo lease (Feb 2024).
• Heinen Brothers Agra Services / Kelly Hills Unmanned Systemsflagship u.s. distributorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 September 2025First U.S. distribution agreement (September 3, 2025). Heinen Brothers is one of the largest privately owned aerial application service providers in North America (Seneca, KS); its subsidiary Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems distributes and markets Pelican 2 to U.S. growers across Midwest, South, and Western regions. Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems was established 2024.
• Synerjet Corp.flagship brazil distributorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 July 2025First authorized distributor in Brazil (July 31, 2025). Placed firm order for 60 Pelican aircraft with deliveries beginning August 2025. Provides sales, training, and technical support for Pelican platform across Brazilian ag market. Exclusive distributor of Pilatus Aircraft in Latin America/Caribbean.
• Sierra Nevada Company (SNC)core u.s. dod customization partnerOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 6 May 2024Partnership (May 6, 2024) to offer Pyka's large-scale all-electric cargo UAS to U.S. Department of Defense customers. Introduced RUMRUNNER, a modified edition of Pelican Cargo, featuring high-thrust SSTOL, 400 lb payload, 200 mile range for contested logistics.
• Skyports Drone Servicescore uk launch customer & service partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2023Strategic partnership for Pelican Cargo launch (Q1 2023 onboarding). Demonstrated heavy-lift and extended range capabilities at the UK Royal Navy Uncrewed Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Challenge (UASHLC) at Predannack, Cornwall (October 2023). BVLOS flights, maritime missions, humanitarian aid transport.
• Grupo HAMEstrategic latin america customerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 April 2023Letter of Intent (April 6, 2023) for trials and subsequent operating lease of multiple Pelican Spray aircraft across all banana production areas of Grupo HAME, one of the top three fresh fruit producers in Guatemala. Founded in Guatemala in 1952.
• EmbraerXflagship strategic aerospace partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2021Partnership (September 23, 2021) to accelerate the future of autonomous aerial agriculture operations in Brazil. Collaboration focused on technology, certification, operations, and future commercialization of Pelican. Backed by Embraer's 50+ years of aerospace expertise.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DJI (Agras Series): DJI's Agras line (Agras T40, T50, etc.) is the dominant large-payload agricultural spray drone globally. Directly competes with Pelican 2 in autonomous aerial crop protection, particularly across Brazil, Central America, and U.S. row crops, with a much broader installed base but smaller per-aircraft payload and shorter flight endurance than Pyka's fixed-wing platform.
• XAG: XAG is one of the world's largest agricultural drone manufacturers, focused on autonomous spraying and seeding in China and expanding globally. Direct competitor in precision agriculture aviation with autonomous rotorcraft platforms; relevant for Latin America and Southeast Asia expansion overlap with Pyka.
• Wing (Alphabet): Wing operates the world's largest commercial drone delivery service, with autonomous fixed-wing and multirotor aircraft. Directly comparable in autonomy-first operations, regulatory leadership, and BVLOS commercial flight experience; competes with Pelican Cargo in the autonomous cargo / last-mile delivery space.
• Elroy Air: Elroy Air develops the Chaparral, a hybrid-electric autonomous cargo UAS with mid-range logistics focus. Direct peer in autonomous heavy-lift cargo UAS for defense and commercial logistics; comparable mission profile to Pyka's DropShip and Pelican Cargo platforms.

Emerging players

• Sabrewing Aircraft: Sabrewing Aircraft is developing the Rhaegal, a large heavy-lift cargo UAS with hybrid propulsion targeting defense and commercial cargo. Comparable in mission (heavy-lift contested logistics) and emerging stage, but at an earlier commercialization point than Pyka.
• Reliable Robotics: Reliable Robotics focuses on autonomous flight systems for fixed-wing aircraft, primarily in cargo and regional aviation. Comparable in autonomy-first commercial aviation approach and certifiable autonomy stack; differs in retrofitting existing aircraft rather than building new airframes like Pyka.
• Volansi: Volansi builds autonomous cargo UAS for commercial and defense logistics, including middle-mile delivery. Comparable in autonomous cargo UAS positioning and DoD engagement; smaller payload and shorter range than Pelican Cargo / DropShip.

Broad incumbents

• Joby Aviation: Joby is the leading eVTOL air taxi developer with FAA type certification progress and a deep autonomy / electric propulsion stack. Broad incumbent in autonomous electric aviation, with comparable regulatory leadership and battery-electric propulsion philosophy; competes for talent and investor capital though targeting passenger urban air mobility versus Pyka's agriculture/cargo/defense.
• Skydio: Skydio is the leading U.S. autonomous drone manufacturer focused on autonomy, LiDAR-based obstacle avoidance, and small UAS for inspection, public safety, and defense. Comparable in U.S. autonomy leadership and DOD contracts; broader portfolio but smaller aircraft than Pyka's fixed-wing spray / cargo platforms.

Others

• Embraer (EmbraerX): Embraer's disruptive innovation arm EmbraerX partnered with Pyka in September 2021 to accelerate autonomous aerial agriculture operations in Brazil. Adjacent strategic partner and broader aerospace incumbent; comparable in agricultural aviation and Brazilian market access, but Pyka's partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PykaOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flypyka
• Instagraminstagram.com/flypyka
• Xx.com/flypyka

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors18 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pyka