Reliable Robotics Raises $115 Million as FAA Certification Nears

Reliable Robotics has raised another $115 million, giving the autonomous-aircraft developer more capital to expand its fleet and manufacturing capacity while it works through Federal Aviation Administration certification. The financing includes $90 million of equity led by Nimble Partners and a $25 million term loan from Silicon Valley Bank.

The extension lifts the company's Series D to $275 million, its valuation above $1 billion and total capital raised to roughly $380 million. Those figures make the round unusually large for a business whose core autonomous-flight system is not yet approved for commercial service.

Certification, not valuation, is the key milestone

Reliable is developing an aircraft-agnostic system designed to automate flight from engine start and taxi through takeoff, cruise and landing. Its first certification path keeps a pilot on board while the automated system remains continuously engaged. Chief Executive Robert Rose told TechCrunch that approval for this configuration could take another 18 to 24 months.

Removing the onboard pilot is a separate and longer path. The company estimates remote operation remains at least three years away. That distinction matters because an automated aircraft with a supervising pilot can improve consistency and collect operating evidence, but it does not yet deliver the full labor and scheduling economics associated with uncrewed cargo service.

The company is also developing a solid-state radar for collision avoidance, with certification targeted around the end of 2027. In parallel, it is seeking an airline operating certificate for Reliable Airlines, an Albuquerque-based cargo operation built around six Cessna Caravans and planned service six days a week.

Capital buys time for evidence

Reliable says the new money will support more aircraft, greater production capacity and a larger engineering team. The dual-use system has commercial and military applications, which broadens the potential customer base, but it also means success depends on two demanding transitions: proving the safety case to regulators and then producing installations reliably enough for operators.

The financing validates investor interest in autonomous aviation, yet the valuation does not resolve certification risk. The next decision-relevant evidence will be FAA approvals, demonstrated dispatch reliability and paid operating activity. Until those arrive, the round should be read as funding for the certification runway, not proof that scaled autonomous flight has already become a commercial business.