Creating a new form of air transportation to advance our civilization
Skyways has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Skyways.
Skyways was founded in 2017 by Charles Acknin (Founder).
Skyways has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Skyways was founded in 2017 by Charles Acknin (Founder).
Skyways has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Skyways's investors include Alt Capital, Bow Capital, Elefund, FJ Labs, Frst, Makers Camp, Mayfield, NextView Ventures, OMERS Ventures, Susa Ventures, UpHonest Capital, Adrian Aoun.
Skyways is an urban air mobility company pioneering a new form of air transportation through fully autonomous, AI-driven, hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft primarily focused on cargo logistics with future passenger applications. Their product portfolio includes long-range autonomous cargo drones capable of carrying meaningful payloads (e.g., 20-30 lbs over 300-500 miles) designed to serve urban environments, defense, and commercial sectors such as oil and gas. Skyways addresses the problem of inefficient, congested ground transportation by enabling rapid, scalable, and cost-effective aerial logistics solutions, demonstrated by over 1,100 successful flights and active contracts with the US Navy and Air Force[1][2][3][5].
Founded in 2017, Skyways was established with a vision to revolutionize cargo transport by leveraging advanced autonomy and hybrid-electric propulsion. The company’s founders and leadership have focused on building and flying full-scale autonomous aircraft early in development to prove real-world capability rather than theoretical designs. This approach has led to early traction with military contracts (notably a $37 million USAF contract) and commercial customers in challenging sectors like offshore oil platform resupply. Their evolution has been marked by continuous iteration of UAV models (currently at version V2.5 and working toward V3) and a shift toward mass production readiness[2][3][4][5].
Skyways rides the rising trend of urban air mobility (UAM) and autonomous logistics, driven by increasing urban congestion, advances in battery and AI technology, and evolving regulatory frameworks enabling drone operations in populated areas. Their timing is critical as demand grows for scalable, efficient alternatives to ground transport, especially in defense and remote commercial sectors. By demonstrating operational autonomous cargo drones at scale, Skyways influences the broader ecosystem by setting new standards for safety, efficiency, and mass production readiness in UAM and drone logistics[1][3].
Looking ahead, Skyways aims to build the world’s largest fleet of autonomous logistics aircraft, expanding payload capacity and range while scaling production. Trends shaping their journey include continued regulatory progress for autonomous flight, advances in hybrid-electric propulsion, and growing commercial and defense demand for rapid, flexible logistics solutions. Their influence is likely to expand beyond cargo into passenger air mobility, potentially transforming urban transportation infrastructure and enabling new economic and social connectivity. Skyways’ early operational success and strategic military partnerships position them as a key player in advancing civilization through innovative air transportation[3][5].
Key people at Skyways.
Skyways has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in June 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2017 | $1.0M Seed | Alt Capital, Bow Capital, Elefund, FJ Labs, Frst, Makers Camp, Mayfield, NextView Ventures, OMERS Ventures, Susa Ventures, UpHonest Capital, Adrian Aoun, Charlie Songhurst, Oleg Tscheltzoff, Pierre Valade |
