PLANA

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.

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

Product category

Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMABAIAC

VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing/Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drones) & Autonomous Platforms

Keywords

• Hybrid electric VTOL
• Advanced air mobility
• Electric aircraft manufacturing
• Vertical takeoff landing
• Urban air mobility

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Altos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Core 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.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct 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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors8 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 PLANA