Joby Aviation
Corporate brand
UnclaimedJoby Aviation is an American aerospace company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and an associated on-demand air-taxi service.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Joby Aviation is a United States aerospace company focused on electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft and advanced air-mobility services. Founded in 2009 by entrepreneur JoeBen Bevirt as Joby Aero, the company began as a largely self-financed research effort at Bevirt’s ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its early work covered electric motors, flight-control software, batteries and other components for electric aviation. Joby participated in NASA-related X-57 Maxwell and LEAPTech activities before concentrating on a purpose-built aircraft for short-haul passenger transportation. The company’s aircraft concept evolved from an early S2 design with numerous tilting propellers to the six-propeller configuration associated with its S4 platform. Joby progressed from subscale aircraft around 2015 to full-scale remotely piloted prototypes in 2017 and a production-oriented prototype in 2019. During this period it maintained a low public profile while engaging with the Federal Aviation Administration on certification and forming a relationship with Uber’s Elevate air-taxi initiative. Joby’s business model combines aircraft development, manufacturing and planned commercial operations. Its intended air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers, take off and land vertically, then transition to efficient fixed-wing cruise. The battery-electric aircraft is intended to travel roughly 150 miles on a charge at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, while producing substantially less noise and no in-flight carbon emissions than conventional helicopters. Rather than relying solely on aircraft sales, Joby plans to operate an on-demand passenger service and charge customers per trip. The company attracted major strategic and venture investment during its development. Toyota led a 2020 financing round and entered into a manufacturing relationship with Joby. Joby also acquired Uber Elevate in late 2020, gaining software, operational planning and market-development capabilities for multimodal air-taxi services. In 2021 it became a public company through a combination with Reinvent Technology Partners and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under JOBY. Delta Air Lines subsequently invested in Joby and announced plans connected with home-to-airport service in New York and Los Angeles. Joby has pursued several parallel certification and demonstration tracks. It obtained an FAA certification basis for its aircraft, received Part 135 air-service certification for operations using Cirrus SR22 aircraft while its eVTOL type certification continued, and obtained an initial U.S. Air Force airworthiness certification through the Agility Prime program. The first production aircraft was rolled out in 2023, followed by delivery of an aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base. Joby has also demonstrated its aircraft in New York City and participated in South Korea’s K-UAM Grand Challenge. Beyond its battery-electric passenger aircraft, Joby has expanded into hydrogen-electric and hybrid propulsion research. Its acquisition of German hydrogen-aviation company H2Fly supported long-range fuel-cell demonstrations, including flights substantially longer than the battery-electric aircraft’s intended commercial range. The company has also acquired autonomy-related capabilities from Xwing and explored military applications through a hybrid demonstrator developed with L3Harris Technologies. Joby’s long-term challenge remains the coordinated achievement of aircraft certification, scalable manufacturing, infrastructure deployment, public acceptance and economically viable commercial service.
History
Joby Aviation was established as Joby Aero on September 11, 2009, as one of JoeBen Bevirt’s privately funded technology projects. The company initially worked in relative secrecy, investigating the technical foundations of electric flight, including motors, batteries and flight-control software. Its involvement with NASA’s X-57 Maxwell and LEAPTech programs helped develop relevant engineering experience before the company committed to an eVTOL air-taxi design. An early Joby concept, known publicly as the S2, used a larger number of tilting propellers distributed across the wings and tail. The design later matured into a six-propeller aircraft able to transition between vertical lift and conventional forward flight. Joby tested subscale aircraft by 2015, full-size unmanned prototypes by 2017 and a production-oriented aircraft by 2019. The company also began working with the FAA on certification and entered discussions with Uber’s Elevate division. In 2018, Joby announced a Series B financing round led by Toyota AI Ventures. In January 2020, it publicly revealed more of its aircraft program and announced a further strategic financing round led by Toyota Motor Corporation. It also outlined plans for a manufacturing site at Marina Municipal Airport in California. Later in 2020, Joby acquired Uber Elevate, obtaining air-mobility software and personnel intended to accelerate service planning and commercial deployment. The U.S. Air Force separately selected Joby’s aircraft for its Agility Prime program and issued an initial airworthiness certification. During 2021, Joby announced a Garmin flight-deck partnership, obtained an FAA G-1 certification basis and received approvals connected with its planned Marina production facility. It also reported a long-distance battery flight demonstration and began the process of securing carrier and aircraft certifications. In August 2021, the company became publicly traded through its combination with Reinvent Technology Partners. In early 2022, Joby reported a high-speed eVTOL flight, but a remotely piloted prototype later crashed during testing. The NTSB determined that an in-flight component failure caused the accident and fire. Joby acquired H2Fly in 2022 and obtained FAA Part 135 certification for an air-service operation using conventional Cirrus aircraft while eVTOL certification continued. Joby rolled out its first production aircraft in June 2023 and delivered an aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base later that year. In November, it conducted an urban demonstration flight in Manhattan in conjunction with plans to electrify the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. The company expanded its technology portfolio in 2024 by acquiring Xwing’s autonomy division and by flying a hydrogen-electric version of its aircraft over distances far beyond the expected range of the battery-powered model. Joby also participated in South Korea’s K-UAM Grand Challenge. The company’s strategy has continued to combine aircraft certification, manufacturing scale-up and direct service operation. Its proposed aircraft carries four passengers with a pilot and is intended to offer quiet, point-to-point transportation from vertiports and existing aviation facilities. Joby’s progress depends on FAA type certification, production approval, infrastructure, operational permissions and sufficient customer demand. Its hydrogen and hybrid programs indicate an effort to extend the platform beyond urban battery-electric air taxis into longer-range and potentially defense-related applications.
- 2024
Autonomy acquisition and hydrogen-electric demonstrations
[1]Joby acquired Xwing’s autonomy division and demonstrated long-range hydrogen-electric flight.
- 2023
Production aircraft rollout and military delivery
[1]Joby rolled out its first production aircraft and delivered an aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base.
- 2022
H2Fly acquisition and Part 135 certification
[1]Joby acquired H2Fly and obtained Part 135 air-service certification while continuing eVTOL certification work.
- 2021
Public listing and FAA certification progress
[1]Joby completed its SPAC combination, began trading as JOBY and announced an FAA certification basis for its aircraft.
- 2020
Toyota-led financing and Uber Elevate acquisition
[1]Joby announced a strategic Toyota relationship and acquired Uber’s Elevate air-taxi division.
- 2018
Series B financing
[1]Toyota AI Ventures led a major financing round supporting Joby’s aircraft development.
- 2017
Full-scale unmanned prototypes
[1]The company progressed to full-scale remotely piloted aircraft testing.
- 2015
Subscale flight testing
[1]Joby was operating subscale eVTOL prototypes as it refined its aircraft architecture.
- 2009
Company founded as Joby Aero
[1]JoeBen Bevirt founded the company as a privately financed electric-aviation venture in California.
Products and positioning
Joby positions itself as an integrated advanced-air-mobility company rather than only an aircraft manufacturer. Its proposition combines a quiet, battery-electric eVTOL aircraft with vertically integrated production, regulatory certification, digital booking and operational software, and direct operation of urban and regional air-taxi services.
Electric aircraft
Joby S4 eVTOL
Joby’s principal aircraft platform is a battery-electric eVTOL designed for vertical takeoff and landing followed by wing-borne cruise. The intended commercial configuration carries a pilot and four passengers. Six rotating propellers provide lift and propulsion, while the aircraft is designed for low operating noise and zero in-flight emissions. Joby is developing the S4 for FAA certification, production and use in an on-demand air-taxi network.
Hydrogen-electric aircraft · 2024
Hydrogen-electric S4 demonstrator
Developed with H2Fly technology, this demonstrator replaces or supplements the battery-electric energy system with hydrogen fuel-cell power. The program is intended to investigate substantially longer-range flight while retaining electric propulsion. Demonstration flights used cryogenic liquid hydrogen and a fuel-cell system, with a small battery supporting high-power phases such as takeoff and landing.
Hybrid-electric aircraft · 2025
Hybrid S4-T demonstrator
The S4-T is a hybrid demonstrator developed with L3Harris Technologies. It combines Joby’s electric vertical-takeoff platform with a gas-turbine generator and is intended to explore extended-range and potential military applications beyond the company’s all-electric passenger-aircraft program.
Air mobility service
Joby air-taxi service
Joby intends to operate a piloted, on-demand air-taxi service using its eVTOL aircraft. The planned service would connect airports, urban heliports and other vertiport locations, with digital booking and multimodal planning capabilities informed partly by the former Uber Elevate business. Commercial launch depends on aircraft and operational approvals, infrastructure and market readiness.
Brand decisions
2022
Acquire H2FlyM&ABackground
Battery-electric aircraft are suited to shorter routes, while hydrogen fuel cells could support longer-range electric aviation.
Action taken
Joby acquired German hydrogen-aviation company H2Fly and continued developing hydrogen-electric versions of its eVTOL platform.
Aftermath
The acquisition enabled long-range hydrogen-electric flight demonstrations and broadened Joby’s technology portfolio.
2021
Become a publicly traded companyStrategyBackground
Joby sought additional capital and a public-market structure to support aircraft certification, manufacturing and commercial operations.
Action taken
The company completed a business combination with Reinvent Technology Partners and listed its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under JOBY.
Aftermath
Joby gained public-company access to capital markets while becoming subject to public-company reporting and market volatility.
2020
Acquire Uber ElevateM&ABackground
Uber Elevate had developed software, market-planning tools and operational concepts for urban air mobility. Joby viewed those capabilities as useful for building its own passenger-service network.
Action taken
Joby acquired the Elevate division and incorporated its personnel and technology into the broader aircraft and service program.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Joby’s stated ambition to operate an integrated air-taxi service rather than sell aircraft alone.
Recent events
Reported
Joby Aviation to acquire Resonant Sciences for approximately USD 500 million[2]
Joby Aviation announced a definitive agreement to acquire Dayton, Ohio-based defense technology company Resonant Sciences for approximately USD 500 million, funded with about USD 450 million in cash and USD 50 million in Joby common stock. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions including applicable regulatory reviews, and Resonant will become Joby's dedicated defense business operating under the Resonant Sciences name.
Reported
Joby, ANA and Toyota partner on aerial ridesharing in Japan[3]
Joby Aviation and ANA Holdings announced they will work together to bring aerial ridesharing to Japan; Toyota Motor will join the partnership and focus on ground-based transport.
Reported
SK Telecom and Joby Aviation partner on urban air mobility[4]
SK Telecom said it partnered with U.S.-based Joby Aviation and that the companies signed an agreement to form a regular consultative team to cooperate on introducing air taxis in South Korea and creating Mobility as a Service.
Reported
Joby completes acquisition of Inras[5]
Joby Aviation announced its acquisition of Inras GmbH, a radar-system developer based in Linz, Austria. The article reports the acquisition as completed.
Reported
Joby receives airworthiness approvals for second pre-production prototype[6]
Joby Aviation received FAA Special Airworthiness Certification and US Air Force Airworthiness Approval for its second pre-production prototype in December 2021.
Reported
Joby Aviation announces reverse merger with RTP[7]
Joby Aviation and Reinvent Technology Partners announced a planned reverse merger through which Joby would go public. The source reports the transaction's value as $6.6 billion.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Uber sells Elevate to Joby Aviation[8]
Uber sold its flying taxi unit Elevate to Joby Aviation. The companies described the transaction as an expanded partnership; Uber also agreed to invest an additional $75 million in Joby.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Uber sells its air taxi business to Joby Aviation[9]
Uber sold its air taxi business to Joby Aviation. The article did not specify when the sale occurred; it reported that the deal was expected to close in early 2021.
Reported
Uber agrees to transfer Elevate to Joby Aviation[10]
Uber agreed to transfer its air-taxi enterprise, Elevate, to Joby Aviation. The transaction was announced Tuesday and was expected to close in early 2021.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
Uber announced an additional $75 million investment in Joby[11]
Uber announced an additional $75 million investment in Joby Aviation as part of the deal involving Uber Elevate.
Sources21 sources
- 1Joby Aviationen.wikipedia.org
- 2Joby Aviation 拟以约5亿美元收购 Resonant Sciencesevertiq.com
- 3Joby、ANA与Toyota合作在日本推动空中共乘japantimes.co.jp
- 4SK Telecom与Joby Aviation合作开发城市空中交通koreatimes.co.kr
- 5Joby完成对Inras的收购asdnews.com
- 6Joby 第二架预量产原型机获适航批准autoevolution.com
- 7Joby Aviation宣布与RTP反向合并finance.sina.com.cn
- 8Uber 将 Elevate 出售给 Joby Aviationbbc.co.uk
- 9Uber将空中出租车业务出售给Joby Aviationmobilesyrup.com
- 10Uber同意将Elevate转让给Joby Aviationtechcrunch.com
- 11Uber宣布向Joby追加投资7500万美元ksbw.com
- 12Joby Aviation完成5.9亿美元C轮融资prnewswire.com
- 13Uber与Joby Aviation宣布空中出租车服务商业合作tech.sina.com.cn
- 14优步正与神秘初创公司合作 欲2030年推出空中出租车服务finance.sina.com.cn
- 15Air taxi firm Joby acquires defense tech company for $500 millionthestar.com.my
- 16ANA partners with eVTOL company to bring flying taxis to Japanbusinesstraveller.com
- 17ANA Partners With Joby On UAM In Japan | Aviation Weekaviationweek.com
- 18Joby Acquires Uber Elevate As Uber Invests Further $75M - SlashGearslashgear.com
- 19Joby partners with Japan's largest airline on local flying taxi servicenewatlas.com
- 20Joby Partners With SK Telecom On UAM In South Korea | Aviation Weekaviationweek.com
- 21Uber sells flying taxi business to Joby Aviationfoxbusiness.com
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