Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk Corporation is a privately-held Palo Alto-based aerospace company that develops autonomous and ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, holding 250+ patents and focusing on IP licensing rather than direct sales, with its primary commercialization vehicle being the Boeing-backed Wisk Aero joint venture.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersMountain View, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Kitty Hawk firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kitty Hawk
- Legal name
- Kitty Hawk Corporation
- Website
- https://kittyhawk.aero
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kitty Hawk Corporation is a privately-held Palo Alto-based aerospace company that develops autonomous and ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, holding 250+ patents and focusing on IP licensing rather than direct sales, with its primary commercialization vehicle being the Boeing-backed Wisk Aero joint venture.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kitty Hawk industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Air Mobility / eVTOL Aircraft
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric & Hybrid-Electric Propulsion (eVTOL/Regional) (IMABADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Air Taxi & Urban Air Mobility (eVTOL) Operators (TLAFAAAD), Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK)
Keywords
Where Kitty Hawk is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mountain View
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kitty Hawk business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Kitty Hawk product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kitty Hawk designs, builds, and tests electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with two publicly released platforms: Heaviside, an all-electric autonomous aircraft that takes off, flies, and lands without a pilot on a small landing pad, and Flyer, an ultralight eVTOL designed for non-pilots over water. The company holds over 250 issued patents across batteries, tiltrotors, parachutes, noise reduction, motors, and vehicle configurations, and currently monetizes this portfolio through strategic licensing, partnerships, and investments rather than direct commercial sales.
Product overview
Kitty Hawk is an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft company that spent over a decade building state-of-the-art technology. The company has invented, built and flown more than 100 aircraft, with two key publicly released products: Heaviside (latest all-electric autonomous aircraft) and Flyer (ultralight eVTOL for non-pilots). The product portfolio includes patented technologies for batteries, tiltrotor features, parachutes, noise reduction, innovative motors, and vehicle configurations. The company focuses on the stewardship and strategic management of its intellectual property portfolio and evaluates opportunities for strategic investments, partnerships, and licensing arrangements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Heaviside Heaviside is an all-electric autonomous eVTOL aircraft that can take off, fly, and land without any human pilot on a small landing pad only slightly larger than its wingspan. It is ultra-quiet and battery-efficient, capable of flying hundreds of miles on a single charge and becoming almost inaudible within 30 seconds of takeoff, targeted at urban air mobility and air taxi applications.
- Flyer Flyer is an ultralight eVTOL designed to fly over water with easy, natural controls, demonstrating that non-pilots can take to the sky with just a few hours of training. It is protected by over 150 issued patents spanning an innovative controller architecture, location-based safety features, automated safety detection and resolution features, and buoyancy features.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 aircraft built and flown over more than a decade of development
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kitty Hawk
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kitty Hawk technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature10 records
Kitty Hawk partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wisk AerocoreWisk Aero is backed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation, representing the company's primary vehicle for advanced air mobility commercialization. Wisk has indicated intent to launch flying taxis in Australia for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- 3D RoboticsminorKitty Hawk acquired US-based drone manufacturer 3D Robotics in 2021, with Chris Anderson, founder of 3D Robotics, joining Kitty Hawk as COO. This acquisition expanded Kitty Hawk's capabilities in autonomous drone technology.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kitty Hawk competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wisk Aero: Autonomous eVTOL air-taxi developer jointly backed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation. Most directly comparable because it is the primary commercialization vehicle for Kitty Hawk's Heaviside-derived autonomous eVTOL technology, targeting the same urban air mobility use case.
- Joby Aviation: Leading eVTOL air-taxi developer pursuing FAA type certification with a piloted, electric vertical takeoff aircraft. Directly comparable as a competing eVTOL platform targeting the same urban air mobility customer and use case Kitty Hawk envisioned.
- Archer Aviation: eVTOL aircraft developer building electric vertical takeoff air taxis for urban mobility. Comparable as a directly competing eVTOL OEM targeting commercial passenger service, with overlapping battery, motor, and autonomy IP needs.
- Lilium: German eVTOL manufacturer developing electric jet-powered vertical takeoff aircraft for regional air mobility. Comparable as an eVTOL airframe/propulsion developer pursuing certification and commercial air-taxi service in overlapping geographies.
- EHang: Chinese autonomous eVTOL manufacturer focused on passenger and logistics autonomous aerial vehicles. Comparable as a competing autonomous eVTOL platform with overlapping technology stack in batteries, flight control, and urban air mobility.
- Volocopter: German eVTOL developer building electric vertical takeoff air taxis and heavy-lift drones. Comparable as a directly competing urban air mobility eVTOL manufacturer pursuing type certification and commercial launch.
- Vertical Aerospace: UK-based eVTOL developer building electric vertical takeoff air taxis with piloted and increasingly autonomous capabilities. Comparable as a competing eVTOL OEM with overlapping battery, motor, and airframe IP needs targeting commercial passenger service.
Broad incumbents
- Boeing: Major aerospace prime and Kitty Hawk backer via the Wisk Aero joint venture. Comparable as a broad incumbent in aerospace and a strategic investor in advanced air mobility, with overlapping interest in autonomous eVTOL commercialization.
Emerging players
- Skydio: US-based autonomous drone manufacturer with strengths in autonomous flight, computer vision, and flight safety systems. Comparable as an emerging player in autonomous aerial vehicles whose autonomy IP intersects with Kitty Hawk's Heaviside autonomous stack.
- 3D Robotics: US-based drone manufacturer acquired by Kitty Hawk in 2021, now an internal capability. Comparable as an emerging player in autonomous UAS whose manufacturing and software stack is now embedded in Kitty Hawk's roadmap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kitty Hawk social profiles
Digital presenceKitty Hawk financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kitty Hawk leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Kitty Hawk subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kitty Hawk funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kitty Hawk M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kitty Hawk
What does Kitty Hawk do?
Kitty Hawk designs, builds, and tests electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with two publicly released platforms: Heaviside, an all-electric autonomous aircraft that takes off, flies, and lands without a pilot on a small landing pad, and Flyer, an ultralight eVTOL designed for non-pilots over water. The company holds over 250 issued patents across batteries, tiltrotors, parachutes, noise reduction, motors, and vehicle configurations, and currently monetizes this portfolio through strategic licensing, partnerships, and investments rather than direct commercial sales.
Is Kitty Hawk a public or private company?
Kitty Hawk is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kitty Hawk founded?
Kitty Hawk was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kitty Hawk based?
Kitty Hawk is headquartered in Mountain View, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Kitty Hawk's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wisk Aero, Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium, EHang, Volocopter and Vertical Aerospace. Boeing is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Skydio and 3D Robotics.
Does Kitty Hawk have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kitty Hawk.
What industry is Kitty Hawk in?
Kitty Hawk's product category is Urban Air Mobility / eVTOL Aircraft. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABADAH, Electric & Hybrid-Electric Propulsion (eVTOL/Regional), with a secondary code of TLAFAAAD, Air Taxi & Urban Air Mobility (eVTOL) Operators. Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3721.