Reliable Robotics

What Reliable Robotics does

Reliable Robotics, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, develops autonomous flight automation systems that enable remotely piloted and fully autonomous operation of existing aircraft, primarily the Cessna 208 Caravan platform. The company's core product is the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS), an aircraft-agnostic automation kit that retrofits conventional aircraft with proprietary sensors and software to perform gate-to-gate autonomous flight. The platform is built on deterministic, non-AI software architecture for safety-critical functions and is complemented by a proprietary radar, a validated Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) system, and the C2 Link System — a certifiable safety-critical datalink that integrates Iridium, Viasat, and uAvionix connectivity without requiring new ground infrastructure.

The company serves two primary customer segments: U.S. defense and government agencies (notably the U.S. Air Force, with a $17.4 million autonomous cargo deployment contract for the Indo-Pacific theater, and NASA, with a $1 million SBIR Phase III flight-demonstration contract) and commercial cargo operators. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Reliable Airlines, was established to operate autonomous commercial cargo flights and has been selected alongside the City of Albuquerque for the FAA's Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program. As of April 2026, the company has secured commitments for over 200 systems from commercial and military customers.

Reliable Robotics generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise sales of autonomous flight hardware and through professional services revenue tied to government defense and research contracts. The company has raised approximately $260 million across multiple venture rounds, including a $100 million Series C in October 2021 led by Coatue and a $160 million Series D in April 2026 led by Nimble Partners, reaching a post-money valuation of nearly $1 billion. Strategic investors include Boeing's AE Ventures, RTX Ventures, and Presidio (Sumitomo). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based for government procurement. The company employs over 200 people and operates an additional testing facility at Albuquerque International Sunport.

Name

Reliable Robotics

Legal name

Reliable Robotics Corp.

Website

https://reliable.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Reliable Robotics develops autonomous flight automation systems (RAS) that retrofit Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft for remotely piloted and fully autonomous operation. It serves U.S. defense agencies, NASA, and commercial cargo operators, with a wholly-owned subsidiary operating autonomous air cargo flights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autonomous Aviation Systems

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO), UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO), UAS Communications, Datalinks, SATCOM & Remote Control Systems (IMABAIAJ)

Keywords

• Autonomous flight systems
• Aircraft automation
• Detect-and-avoid technology
• Unmanned cargo aviation
• FAA-certified aviation autonomy

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Autonomous Flight System Sales: Sale and deployment of the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) for aircraft automation to commercial and military customers. Over 200 systems already under commitment from commercial and military customers.
2. Government Defense Contracts: $17.4 million contract with U.S. Air Force for autonomous cargo flight system development and deployment for Pacific logistics operations. Operations expected in Indo-Pacific region.
3. NASA Research Contracts: $1 million SBIR Phase III contract with NASA for flight demonstrations gathering data to inform UAS performance standards, running through Q3 2026
4. Licensing and Certification Services: Future revenue anticipated from FAA certification of autonomous systems for commercial cargo operations, targeting initial limited commercial operations in 2026

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Reliable Robotics develops and sells the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS), an FAA-certifiable automation system that retrofits existing aircraft (primarily Cessna 208 Caravan) with proprietary safety-critical hardware and software enabling remotely piloted and fully autonomous flight operations. The company pairs RAS with a proprietary Detect-and-Avoid system, a safety-critical C2 Link System for airspace integration, and operates autonomous air cargo services through its wholly-owned subsidiary Reliable Airlines.

Product overview

Reliable Robotics offers a unified autonomous aviation platform anchored by the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) — the first FAA-certifiable system for fully automated aircraft operation. RAS is an aircraft-agnostic automation system that retrofits aircraft (primarily Cessna 208 Caravan) with proprietary safety technology including a company-built radar. The platform includes the C2 Link System for safety-critical datalink connectivity and a Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) system for collision avoidance. The wholly-owned subsidiary Reliable Airlines operates commercial cargo flights under this platform. The company serves both commercial and military customers, with over 200 systems under commitment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reliable Autonomy System (RAS): First FAA-certifiable system for fully automated aircraft operation
• C2 Link System

Products and services

• Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) The Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) is the first FAA-certifiable system enabling fully automated aircraft operation for aircraft-agnostic automation. It retrofits existing aircraft, primarily the Cessna 208 Caravan, with proprietary safety technology including a company-built radar and deterministic flight-critical software, enabling remotely piloted and fully autonomous flight operations for commercial and military customers.
• Autonomous Air Cargo Operations (Reliable Airlines) Autonomous air cargo service operated through wholly-owned subsidiary Reliable Airlines, conducting autonomous cargo flights from Albuquerque International Sunport to regional airports in the Four Corners region. The service is the first commercial operation of regional air cargo by large uncrewed aircraft systems in the U.S.

Quantifiable outcome

• Operational costs reduced to ~$2,000/flight hour vs $20,000/flight hour for traditional cargo aircraft like C-130J
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• IridiumcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Satellite communications partner providing connectivity for the C2 Link System's safety-critical datalinks enabling integration of uncrewed aircraft into National Airspace System.
• ViasatcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Satellite communications provider for the C2 Link System, supporting connectivity between aircraft and remote pilots alongside Iridium network.
• uAvionixcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Air-to-ground datalink provider for the C2 Link System, enabling aircraft connectivity with air traffic control as part of the safety-critical datalinks integration.
• City of Albuquerque Aviation DepartmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Selected alongside City of Albuquerque by FAA for Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program to deploy autonomous commercial cargo aircraft. Reliable's subsidiary Reliable Airlines will conduct autonomous operations from Albuquerque International Sunport to regional airports, marking first commercial operation of regional air cargo by large UAS in U.S.
• Collins AerospacestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint flight tests with Reliable Robotics and Collins Aerospace at Hollister Airspace Ecosystem as documented in NASA Ames Partnerships Office Annual Report, demonstrating industry collaboration on autonomous flight technology.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025$1 million SBIR Phase III contract for flight demonstrations with highly automated Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. Flight data to be shared with NASA, FAA, and standards organizations to develop minimum operational performance standards for UAS integration into National Airspace System.
• U.S. Air ForcecoreOthers · 1 August 2025$17.4 million contract to deploy automated Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft equipped with Reliable Autonomy System for real-world overseas logistics missions in Indo-Pacific region. Operations expected to begin 2026 with significant cost advantages over traditional military transport aircraft.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Merlin Labs: Merlin Labs develops autonomous flight software for fixed-wing aircraft, with its initial certification platform centered on the Cessna Caravan. It is the most direct competitor to Reliable Robotics' RAS, targeting FAA certification and regional cargo operators with the same airframe and use case.
• Xwing: Xwing builds autonomy and detect-and-avoid systems for fixed-wing cargo aircraft, including Cessna Caravans, with FAA Part 135 cargo ambitions. It competes head-to-head with Reliable Robotics in autonomous regional cargo and in the same regulatory pathway.
• Elroy Air: Elroy Air develops autonomous VTOL cargo aircraft (Chaparral) for middle-mile logistics, directly competing with Reliable Robotics in the autonomous air-cargo use case. It targets both defense and commercial customers with an aircraft-plus-autonomy integrated offering.

Emerging players

• Sabrewing Aircraft: Sabrewing is developing the Rhaegal autonomous heavy-lift cargo UAS, with both commercial cargo and USAF interest. It is an emerging autonomous cargo competitor that overlaps with Reliable's defense logistics and regional cargo go-to-market.
• Dronamics: Dronamics operates the Black Swan unmanned cargo aircraft for same-day middle-mile logistics across Europe and beyond. It targets the same autonomous regional cargo use case as Reliable Robotics, though primarily in international markets.
• Pyka: Pyka builds autonomous electric fixed-wing aircraft initially for crop protection, with planned expansion into cargo. Its autonomous flight stack and fixed-wing focus are comparable to Reliable Robotics' autonomy engineering, though the initial end market differs.

Broad incumbents

• Joby Aviation: Joby is a publicly listed eVTOL air-taxi developer pursuing autonomous-capable flight with FAA type certification. It is a broader autonomy-in-aviation incumbent whose certification pathway, autonomy stack, and aerospace investor base overlap with Reliable Robotics' positioning.
• Wisk Aero: Wisk (a Boeing subsidiary) is developing autonomous eVTOL air taxis, backed by Boeing capital and engineering resources. As a strategic investor in Reliable Robotics and a competing autonomous aviation developer, it represents both partner and competitor in autonomous flight.
• Archer Aviation: Archer is developing eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility with FAA type certification progress. It is a broader autonomous-aviation peer competing for capital, talent, and FAA pathway attention that overlaps with Reliable Robotics' strategic context.

Others

• uAvionix: uAvionix provides avionics, ADS-B, and air-to-ground datalinks for UAS integration and is a current integration partner of Reliable Robotics via the C2 Link System. It is an enabling technology supplier rather than a competitor, but core to the autonomy ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reliable_robot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reliablerobotics

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors17 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 Reliable Robotics