Skyways
"Autonomous Logistics & Flight Operations"
Austin, Texas autonomous cargo-drone maker founded 2017 by Charles Acknin; its V2 aircraft flies 30 pounds of payload 450 miles for logistics customers.
Skyways Air Transportation Inc. is an autonomous cargo-drone company headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded in 2017 by Charles Acknin and backed by Y Combinator's Summer 2017 batch. The company designs vertical-takeoff aircraft that fly pre-set routes without a remote pilot making real-time control decisions, using onboard sensors and software to handle navigation during each flight.
Its production aircraft, the V2, carries 30 pounds of cargo over a range of 450 miles and about 8 hours of endurance, combining vertical takeoff and landing with fixed-wing cruise flight in what the company calls a dual-hybrid configuration, running on JP-5 or Jet A-1 fuel. The in-development V3 extends this to 100 pounds of payload over more than 1,000 miles and roughly 20 hours of endurance, using the same autonomy software as the V2.
Skyways holds a 37 million dollar United States Air Force award to move the V3 from prototype to production. Commercial deployments include a partnership with ANA Holdings supporting cargo logistics for remote islands in Japan, and a project with RWE and Skyports delivering cargo to offshore wind turbines in Germany.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Skyways V2
Production autonomous VTOL cargo drone carrying 30 lbs over 450 miles via hybrid-electric propulsion; deployed commercially and with US military.
Skyways V3
- Model: V3
- Launch Year: 2026
Next-generation autonomous cargo drone with 100 lb payload, 1000+ mile range, 20+ hour endurance; backed by $37M USAF contract.
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Contact Skyways
WEBSITE
https://skyways.com/HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2017
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
