Grid Aero raises $20 million to push long-range cargo drone toward first flights
Grid Aero has raised $20 million to move its Lifter Lite autonomous cargo aircraft into flight testing this year.
The Series A round was led by Bison Ventures and Geodesic Capital. It follows a $6 million seed round announced after the company emerged from stealth in August. Grid Aero said its first Lifter Lite prototype has been assembled and is moving through progressively more demanding ground and taxi tests ahead of initial flights. The company said the work includes engine power tuning, communications checks and validation of software redundancy systems.
The San Leandro, California-based startup said it has two immediate goals. The first is to begin flying the aircraft. The second is to use lessons from the current prototype to shape the next design iteration, which is already under development. Lifter Lite is designed as a low-cost autonomous airlifter capable of carrying 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of cargo over thousands of miles between islands and countries across the Pacific. Grid Aero says the aircraft is built to operate from austere and degraded sites with limited infrastructure and in contested airspace.
The company said it is targeting military logistics missions, especially contested resupply, while also pursuing commercial and humanitarian applications in remote areas. Grid Aero did not identify specific exercises it hopes to join this year, but said it is tracking about a dozen opportunities that could range from direct participation to other forms of involvement. The company has already disclosed a letter of intent with Everts Air to use Lifter Lite to transport cargo and fuel to remote parts of Alaska. It also said late last year that it was partnering with aerial sensor services firm A2G International on autonomous logistics in hard-to-reach regions.
New investors in the round include Stony Lonesome Group and Alumni Ventures, alongside returning backers Ubiquity Ventures, Calibrate Ventures and Commonwealth Ventures. The funding gives Grid Aero runway to prove whether a long-range unmanned freighter can combine payload, reach and rugged field performance in one platform. If it succeeds, the aircraft could expand logistics options for military operators, remote cargo carriers and humanitarian supply networks.