PLANA
PLANA is a South Korea-headquartered aerospace startup developing a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (HeVTOL) aircraft for urban and regional air mobility, with US operations in Sacramento, California. The company remains in pre-commercial development.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSeongnam, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What PLANA does
PLANA is a developer of hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (HeVTOL) aircraft, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea. The company is building an aircraft that combines vertical takeoff and landing capability with hybrid propulsion, positioning it to address urban and regional air mobility use cases with extended range compared to pure-electric VTOL designs. PLANA has established a US operational presence in Sacramento, California — a region the company characterizes as an emerging hub for electric vehicle and electric aviation innovation alongside peers such as Stark Future, FlyTahoe, and Sparkz.
The company's core product, a hybrid VTOL aircraft, remains in the development stage with no disclosed pricing, certification progress, or commercialization timeline. No customers, distribution channels, or marketing channels have been publicly identified, and the company does not disclose a revenue model in the available data. PLANA's business model is not yet articulated beyond aircraft development, and there is no evidence of pre-orders, letters of intent, or anchor commercial partnerships.
PLANA has raised approximately $8.6 million in disclosed funding across two rounds: an $8.3 million round in October 2022 led by DSC Investment and Schmidt, with participation from Dt& Investment, FuturePlay, Industrial Bank of Korea, Shinhan Asset Management, Technology Fund, and Xeno Holdings; and a smaller follow-on round of approximately $309,000 in December 2024. The company maintains a team of 11-50 employees split between South Korea and the United States, but no management team details, founders, or leadership hires are disclosed in the available data.
PLANA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PLANA
- Website
- https://plana.aero
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PLANA is a South Korea-headquartered aerospace startup developing a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (HeVTOL) aircraft for urban and regional air mobility, with US operations in Sacramento, California. The company remains in pre-commercial development.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PLANA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC)
Keywords
Where PLANA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seongnam
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
PLANA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations
PLANA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PLANA designs and manufactures a Hybrid-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HeVTOL) aircraft. The product combines vertical-lift capability with hybrid propulsion to deliver extended range relative to pure-electric VTOL designs. The company is currently in the development stage and the aircraft is not yet commercialized.
Product overview
PLANA is developing a hybrid VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. The company is positioned within the electric vehicle and sustainable mobility innovation hub in Sacramento, California's Capital Region. The product represents an emerging category in electric aviation combining vertical takeoff capabilities with hybrid propulsion technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hybrid VTOL Aircraft Hybrid-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HeVTOL) aircraft combining vertical-lift capability with hybrid propulsion for extended range, designed for urban and regional air mobility operators. Currently in product development stage.
Companies that use PLANA
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
PLANA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PLANA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
PLANA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Joby Aviation: US-listed eVTOL aircraft developer targeting urban air mobility with a tilt-rotor, all-electric design. Directly comparable as a passenger VTOL aircraft manufacturer pursuing FAA type certification.
- Archer Aviation: US-listed eVTOL manufacturer developing a four-passenger electric vertical takeoff aircraft. Closely comparable in target use case (urban air taxi), regulatory pathway, and business model.
- Lilium: German eVTOL developer of the Lilium Jet, a ducted-fan electric VTOL regional air mobility aircraft. Comparable in pursuing passenger VTOL with a distinct propulsion architecture and similar certification ambitions.
- Vertical Aerospace: UK-based eVTOL developer of the VX4 eVTOL aircraft targeting urban air mobility. Directly comparable as a passenger VTOL aircraft company with similar certification milestones and pre-order strategy.
- Beta Technologies: US-based electric aviation company developing the Alia eVTOL aircraft plus charging infrastructure. Comparable as a VTOL aircraft developer pursuing both passenger and cargo/customer use cases.
- Eve Air Mobility: Embraer-backed eVTOL developer listed via SPAC, developing the Eve eVTOL for urban air mobility. Comparable passenger VTOL competitor with similar business model and pre-order-driven strategy.
- Wisk Aero: Boeing-backed autonomous eVTOL developer targeting passenger air taxi services. Comparable in VTOL aircraft development for urban air mobility, with strong aerospace OEM backing.
- Overair: US-based eVTOL start-up developing the Butterfly aircraft for urban and regional air mobility. Comparable as a privately funded VTOL aircraft company pursuing similar passenger use cases.
- Volocopter: German eVTOL developer of the VoloCity and larger VoloRegion aircraft. Comparable as a passenger VTOL aircraft company pursuing urban air mobility with significant pre-orders and ongoing certification work.
Broad incumbents
- Supernal (Hyundai Motor Group): Hyundai's eVTOL subsidiary developing the S-A1 electric air taxi. Comparable as a major corporate-backed eVTOL program, particularly relevant given PLANA's Korean footprint and overlap with Hyundai's regional push.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
PLANA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PLANA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PLANA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PLANA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PLANA
What does PLANA do?
PLANA designs and manufactures a Hybrid-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HeVTOL) aircraft. The product combines vertical-lift capability with hybrid propulsion to deliver extended range relative to pure-electric VTOL designs. The company is currently in the development stage and the aircraft is not yet commercialized.
Is PLANA a public or private company?
PLANA is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PLANA founded?
PLANA was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PLANA based?
PLANA is headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, in the Asia region.
Who are PLANA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium, Vertical Aerospace, Beta Technologies, Eve Air Mobility, Wisk Aero, Overair and Volocopter. Supernal (Hyundai Motor Group) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does PLANA have an API?
No public API is recorded for PLANA.
What industry is PLANA in?
PLANA's product category is Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAC, VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms. Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3721.