Joby Aviation Expands Defense Footprint with $500M Resonant Sciences Acquisition
Electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation has agreed to acquire Resonant Sciences for $500 million in cash and stock to accelerate its push into the defense sector.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Joby Aviation reached an agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences for $500 million in cash and stock.
- The acquisition establishes a dedicated defense division to handle turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric projects.
- Resonant Sciences co-founder and CEO J. Micah North will lead the newly formed defense unit.
- The structural split allows the core Joby team to focus strictly on certifying and launching commercial electric air taxis.
Electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation filed regulatory paperwork revealing a definitive agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences for $500 million in a combination of cash and stock. This major transaction marks the company's most aggressive push yet into the defense sector.
Based in Ohio, Resonant Sciences specializes in manufacturing radio frequency and sensor systems. Under the terms of the deal, the firm will operate as a dedicated defense subsidiary under Joby, with co-founder and CEO J. Micah North stepping in to lead the division. The new unit will absorb all of Joby's existing defense initiatives, encompassing the development of turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft alongside autonomous flight control stacks.
Management noted that spinning off a dedicated defense branch frees the remainder of Joby Aviation to concentrate fully on the certification, manufacturing, and commercial rollout of its flagship electric air taxi. Headquartered in California, Joby is primarily known for building urban aerial ridesharing networks designed to move passengers and cargo across metropolitan short-haul routes.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Joby's pursuit of military applications has grown increasingly visible over the previous two years. Last year, the company partnered with major defense contractor L3Harris Technologies to explore development opportunities for a novel class of autonomous, gas-turbine hybrid vertical take-off and landing aircraft tailored for defense missions, utilizing the existing S4 airframe platform.
Diversifying into defense contracting represents a proven financial runway for advanced aviation startups navigating the lengthy regulatory hurdles of commercial certification. By leveraging military contracts and government-funded R&D, companies like Joby can secure near-term revenue streams and validate cutting-edge propulsion technologies—such as hydrogen systems—long before commercial air taxi networks achieve widespread regulatory approval.
While Joby has historically prioritized battery-electric powertrains for the S4, it successfully demonstrated a government-backed hydrogen-electric hybrid variant in 2024 that completed a 521-mile journey, doubling the operational range of its battery-powered prototype. This acquisition follows Joby's purchase of Blade Air Mobility’s helicopter rideshare operations for approximately $125 million last year, a deal that provided vital terminal infrastructure in New York and substantial quarterly revenue.
Source: TechCrunch
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