BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unless, a leader in venture capital for Industrials, today announced a landmark development in aviation technology with Joby Aviation's acquisition of the autonomy division of Xwing, an Unless portfolio company. This merger combines Xwing's advanced autonomous technologies with Joby’s pioneering electric aircraft solutions.
The acquisition, an asset deal involving Joby shares, highlights Xwing’s unparalleled leadership in the space: with over 250 fully autonomous flights and more than 500 auto-landings, Xwing became the first Standard Category large unmanned aerial system (UAS) to receive official project designation from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023 and the first to receive an Air Force Military Flight Release in 2024. This strategic acquisition of Xwing is set to redefine the future of air mobility, enhancing Joby's capabilities in autonomy, and driving the frontier of both piloted and autonomous air travel.
As a leading expert on the intersection of autonomy and electrification in aviation, David Mindell, MIT Professor, Unless co-founder, and Xwing board member articulated the significance this deal has for the future of aviation: “Autonomy will be central to unlocking the potential of electric air travel.” He went on to underscore the impact of this moment for the industry, noting “Autonomous technology can help improve the unit economics—and safety—of aircraft and will maximize the potential for electric flight to be widely adopted.”
Maxime Gariel, co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Xwing added: “This exciting milestone is a testament to each member of the Xwing team and everything this talented group has achieved to date. It’s also a testament to the power of aligned partnerships. We’re grateful that Unless helped get us to this critical moment, and I can’t imagine a better fit than Joby as we bring this technology to market in the future.”
Unless is confident that this acquisition will lead the revolution in electric aerial mobility by combining the cutting-edge capabilities of Joby and Xwing and establishing a benchmark for the industry's future.
About Unless:
Unless is an investment firm that delivers unique insights and partnership for impact-oriented industrial entrepreneurs and limited partners. Purpose-built to catalyze the new industrial revolution, Unless invites our partners to reflect on what’s at stake and envision the possibilities. To learn more, visit unless.co.
About Xwing:
Xwing is a leading aviation autonomy technology company, founded in 2016 and based in Northern California. Our dual-use adaptable systems are designed to seamlessly integrate with a wide range of aircraft, providing the ability to safely operate ground-supervised, uncrewed aircraft in any airspace. To learn more, visit xwing.com.
