Company to begin autonomous cargo operations in 2026

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – April 21, 2026 – Reliable Robotics, the leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced $160M in new funding to accelerate deployment and scale production of the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) – the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifiable system enabling fully automated operation of an aircraft. The financing follows commitments for over 200 systems from commercial and military customers, and selection for the United States Department of Transportation’s “eIPP” advanced aviation pilot program. The financing was led by Nimble Partners, with continued support from Eclipse, Lightspeed, Coatue and Pathbreaker Ventures. New investors include Island Green Capital, Socium Ventures (Cox Enterprises), AE Ventures (a strategic partner of the Boeing Company), RTX Ventures, Presidio Ventures (Sumitomo Corporation), UP.Partners, KAS Venture Partners, What If Ventures, Calm Ventures, Gaingels and Mana Ventures.

“Autonomy is the inevitable requirement for maximum safety and performance,” said John Burbank of Nimble Partners. Burbank will join Reliable’s Board of Directors.

Aviation is the backbone of global mobility, but preventable accidents, infrastructure limitations and structural challenges around increasing aircraft utilization are constraining future growth. Reliable’s first-of-its-kind aircraft autonomy system was built to improve aviation safety, accessibility, and connectivity for commercial and military operations. The Reliable Autonomy System prevents the leading causes of aviation accidents and will integrate with existing aviation infrastructure and certified aircraft – requiring no changes to the National Airspace System for commercial operations.

“Aviation is vital to our economy and national security, but to meet demand it needs to be able to scale safely,” said Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder, Reliable Robotics. “Automation eases constraints, enabling us to realize greater levels of throughput at even higher levels of safety.”

In March, Reliable, with the City of Albuquerque, was selected for the U.S. Department of Transportation and FAA-led Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) that will accelerate autonomous regional air cargo operations and bring resources from the highest levels of government to Reliable’s certification project. Last August, Reliable announced its contract to provide automated air cargo operations for the United States Air Force to tackle the contested logistics challenge in the Indo-Pacific theater. Both programs will begin operations this year.

“Reliable’s dual-use approach to aircraft autonomy, grounded in leading FAA certification progress, is delivering operational capability today,” said General Richard D. Clarke (ret.), former commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. “Autonomous systems give U.S. forces the agility and freedom of movement needed to execute modern operational concepts, and Reliable is positioned to deliver this mission-critical advantage where it matters most.”

Reliable’s certification progress positions the company to respond to calls from across the U.S. government to expand national leadership in aviation technology. The company is certifying the RAS for commercial operations, with the FAA having accepted certification plans, means of compliance, and closed issue papers. Reliable is now rapidly delivering on compliance materials, in accordance with the FAA-agreed-upon plan.

“The FAA is building the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. Advances in autonomous technologies can only be made when they are certified and in alignment with the agency’s safety objectives,” said Lirio Liu, former executive director of the FAA Aircraft Certification Service. “Reliable Robotics has demonstrated its ability to work toward the certification of its autonomy system with the highest levels of rigor.”

Since its last round of funding, Reliable has nearly tripled its employee base. This funding will enable the company to continue to grow and expand its production facility footprint.

Reliable is building the next generation of automation technology. Join the mission: https://reliable.co/careers 

About Reliable Robotics
Reliable Robotics is bringing certifiable autonomy to commercial and defense aviation. The company’s automation system is designed to work on any aircraft, in any airspace, and to directly address the most common causes of aviation incidents. Reliable’s vision is to transform the way we move goods and people around the planet with safer, more affordable and more scalable air transportation. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and has a distributed global workforce. Learn more at https://reliable.co, and connect on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.

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