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Airborne Secures $150M Funding to Scale Flying-Car Production

  //automotive-transportation.news-articles.net/co .. 150m-funding-to-scale-flying-car-production.html
  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Friday, December 26th 2025 at 11:51 GMT
      Locale: UNITED STATES

Summary of Patch.com Article: “Bay Area company one step closer to mass‑producing flying cars”

The Patch article chronicles a milestone for a San Francisco‑based startup that is turning the long‑standing dream of a practical flying car into an imminent reality. The company, which has quietly been working on a prototype for several years, announced that it has secured the capital, the regulatory approvals, and the manufacturing partnerships that bring it a significant step closer to producing a fleet of air‑borne vehicles on a commercial scale. Below is a comprehensive summary of the article’s key points, context, and implications.

1. The Company and Its Vision

The startup, called Airborne, was founded in 2018 by a former Tesla engineer, Elena Morales, and a veteran aerospace executive, Mark Chen. The duo combined expertise in electric propulsion and aircraft design to create a vehicle that can transition seamlessly from road to air. Morales explains, “Our mission is to make urban mobility faster, cleaner, and more flexible—so people can escape traffic congestion with the same ease they use a car today.”

Airborne’s vehicle, dubbed the Airborne 4, is a four‑seat eVTOL (electric vertical take‑off and landing) aircraft that weighs just under 1,000 kg. It features a lightweight carbon‑fiber frame, four electric ducted fans, and a battery pack that offers a 150‑mile (240‑km) range. According to the company, the Airborne 4 can lift off vertically in 20 seconds and glide at speeds up to 80 mph (130 km/h) for most of its flight envelope.

The article emphasizes that Airborne’s design goal is not just to provide an air‑taxi service but to lay the groundwork for a mass‑produced flying car that could be bought and owned by consumers. “We’re looking at an ecosystem where the vehicle can be parked in a driveway, then take off from a small pad at a home or apartment building,” Morales says.

2. Funding and Manufacturing Milestones

A headline‑breaking element of the piece is Airborne’s $150 million Series B funding round that closed in January 2024. The round was led by GV (formerly Google Ventures), with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Ridge Ventures. The injection of capital is earmarked for scaling up production, expanding the engineering team, and building a production facility in San Jose.

The article reports that Airborne’s manufacturing plan leverages additive manufacturing (3D printing) for rapid prototyping and lean‑manufacturing techniques borrowed from the automotive industry. The company intends to use automation for the assembly of the fuselage and the installation of the flight‑control systems, thereby keeping per‑unit costs within reach of the target price point of $350,000 for a fully equipped vehicle.

In addition to the financial infusion, Airborne announced a partnership with Delaware‑based battery manufacturer, EnergiX, to supply its high‑energy‑density cells. The company will also tap into the Tesla Powerwall supply chain for its lithium‑ion technology, a collaboration that was hinted at in a previous interview but confirmed in the article.

3. Regulatory Pathway

One of the biggest hurdles for any flying‑car startup is navigating FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certification. Airborne’s team has reportedly completed Phase I of the Part 23 certification for its flight‑control system, and the company is currently in pre‑design review with the FAA’s Commercial Aviation Safety Office. The article notes that Airborne is working closely with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to integrate its vehicles into state airspace regulations.

Morales highlights the importance of “building a trust‑worthy data‑driven safety record,” citing the company’s over 500 test flight hours in the past year. Airborne’s flight test operations are conducted out of a former Riviera Aviation hangar near San Francisco International Airport (SFO), a detail the article includes with a photo of the prototype parked in a sunny California courtyard.

4. Technology Highlights

The article delves into several technical aspects that set Airborne apart from its competitors:

The piece also discusses the vehicle’s fly-by-wire system, which uses a dual‑redundant architecture to ensure safety. Airborne’s design incorporates a fly‑by‑wire autopilot that can manage the transition from ground to air, allowing a “driver‑assist” mode for the first few years before the company plans to roll out fully autonomous flight controls.

5. Market Position and Competitors

While Airborne is still the smallest player in the eVTOL field, the article places it in context with larger, better‑funded competitors such as Joby Aviation (based in Santa Cruz), Lilium (Germany), and Volocopter (Germany). The article includes a side note that Airborne’s smaller size is actually an advantage in the early stages, allowing the company to iterate quickly and maintain a lean cost structure.

Morales compares the company’s approach to “a car‑maker on steroids”” and cites the “no‑stop” manufacturing philosophy that’s typical of Silicon Valley startups. The article quotes an independent aviation analyst, Dr. Luis Ramirez, who points out that Airborne’s lower weight and simplified powertrain** could give it a distinct edge if the company is able to hit its production targets.

6. Community and Economic Impact

The piece highlights the local economic ripple effects. Airborne has already created 50 new jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the planned production plant will add another 200 positions when it goes fully operational. The company’s CEO says that the workforce will include engineers, technicians, and battery‑assembly specialists drawn from the region’s existing talent pool.

There’s also a nod to the potential urban‑mobility transformation. The article quotes a local transportation advocate, Marina Lopez, who says that a mass‑produced flying car could “change how people commute to the city and reduce congestion on the West Coast.”

7. Next Steps and Timeline

The article provides a projected roadmap that outlines the company’s next milestones:

• Q4 2024: Completion of full FAA Part 23 certification for the airframe.
• Q2 2025: First serial production vehicle delivered to a pilot customer.
• 2026: Commercial launch of the Airborne 4 to the general public, with a targeted annual production of 1,000 units.

Airborne plans to test the vehicle in a controlled urban corridor in San Jose during late 2025, and it will be looking to establish air‑taxi corridors in partnership with local municipalities.

8. Bottom Line

The Patch article paints a picture of a Bay Area startup that is poised to bridge the gap between prototype and production for a flying car that could eventually become a staple of daily life. The combination of a clear engineering vision, a robust funding package, a strategic partnership with a battery supplier, and a proactive regulatory strategy gives Airborne a realistic chance of moving from the “dream” phase into the “commercial” phase within the next two to three years.

For anyone interested in the future of urban transportation, the article serves as an exciting reminder that the concept of a personal flying vehicle is no longer just speculative—it is actively being engineered, funded, and tested right in the heart of Silicon Valley.