Reliable Robotics has closed $160 million in new investment to accelerate FAA certification and production of the Reliable Autonomy System, the Mountain View startup’s end-to-end aircraft automation stack. The April 21, 2026 round was led by Nimble Partners, the new firm from former Coatue investor John Burbank, and valued the nine-year-old company at close to $1 billion.
Strategics Stack The Cap Table
Existing investors Eclipse Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue Management and Pathbreaker Ventures all returned. They were joined by Island Green Capital, Socium Ventures (Cox Enterprises), AE Ventures — a strategic partner of Boeing — RTX Ventures, Presidio Ventures from Sumitomo Corporation, UP.Partners, KAS Venture Partners and Gaingels. The breadth of strategic capital reflects how seriously Tier 1 aerospace primes are taking autonomy on the path to a future uncrewed cargo fleet.
From DARPA Demos To FAA Type Certification
Reliable’s autonomy kit retrofits to existing aircraft today, with the Cessna 208 Caravan acting as its flight test platform. The company has already demonstrated remotely piloted continuous landings, and last year completed an autonomous flight under a US Air Force contract. CEO Robert Rose, an early SpaceX flight software engineer, says the new capital will fund the final push toward type certification of the system for commercial uncrewed cargo — a milestone the FAA has signalled it could grant by the end of 2027.
Why Investors Are Buying
The Series D follows commitments for more than 200 systems from commercial and military customers, plus selection into the US Department of Transportation’s “eIPP” advanced aviation pilot program. The funding also lines up with broader momentum in autonomous aviation, including Matternet’s London NHS deployment and Serve Robotics’ new LA laundry route. John Burbank will join Reliable’s board.
Reporting based on coverage from Business Wire, DroneXL, FinSMEs and Willkie.