Xwing is an autonomous aviation technology company that develops modular software systems, including its proprietary Superpilot technology, to enable safe, uncrewed flight operations on existing aircraft.[1][2][3][4] Initially focused on regional air cargo to address logistics demand, it now targets aviation operators, defense, and aircraft manufacturers by integrating autonomy for cost reduction, safety improvements, and mission flexibility, such as cargo delivery, ISR, and medevac.[2][4] The company serves cargo feeders, defense partners, and OEMs, solving pilot shortages, high-risk exposures, and operational inefficiencies through ground-supervised autonomous flights; it raised $50M total funding and achieved milestones like 250 fully autonomous flights before its Autonomy Division was acquired by Joby Aviation in June 2024.[1][2][3]
Post-acquisition, Xwing continues operations from San Francisco with ~80 employees and $16.8M revenue, emphasizing defense and aviation partnerships while Joby integrates its autonomy tech for electric air taxis.[2][3][4]
Xwing was founded in 2016 by Marc Piette (former CEO) and Maxime Gariel (CTO and current President), both with expertise in aviation autonomy, alongside early team members like Earl Lawrence (ex-FAA).[1][3] The idea emerged to tackle growing unmet demand in regional air cargo by retrofitting existing aircraft with autonomous software, starting with human-operated stacks that evolved into full gate-to-gate autonomy.[1][2]
Early traction included a $4M seed round in 2018 from Eniac Ventures, a $10M Series A in 2020 led by R7 Partners (with Thales), a 4-hour autonomous flight in 2020, and gate-to-gate ops by 2021.[1][2] Pivotal moments: FAA UAS certification designation in 2023, Air Force Military Flight Release in 2024, acquisitions of cargo feeders Airpac (undated) and Martinaire (2022), and NASA's 2022 contract for airspace data.[1][3] The Autonomy Division's 2024 sale to Joby marked a shift, aligning Xwing's tech with eVTOL scaling.[3]
Xwing rides the autonomous aviation trend, addressing global pilot shortages (projected 80K+ deficit by 2030 in cargo alone) amid rising e-commerce logistics and defense needs for risk-free missions.[2][4] Timing aligns with FAA's UAS integration push and military autonomy mandates, amplified by post-2020 cargo boom and eVTOL hype; market forces like labor costs (30-50% of ops) and safety regulations favor retrofittable tech over new builds.[1][3]
It influences the ecosystem by validating autonomy in national airspace (e.g., NASA data sharing), accelerating certification paths for peers like Joby, and bridging cargo feeders to defense/aerial mobility, fostering a hybrid piloted-uncrewed future.[1][3][4]
Xwing's post-acquisition pivot sharpens its edge in defense autonomy, leveraging Joby synergies for dual-use tech while scaling modular systems for OEM integrations.[3][4] Trends like AI-driven sensor fusion, DoD unmanned budgets ($10B+ annually), and global logistics growth will propel it; expect expanded military contracts and commercial cargo deals by 2026-2027.[1][4]
As the pioneer in regional autonomous cargo, Xwing exemplifies how software unlocks aviation's efficiency, now fueling the next era of uncrewed skies from San Francisco's hub.[2][4]
Xwing has raised $54.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Xwing's investors include 20VC, 9Yards Capital, Kevin Hartz, Accomplice VC, Addition, Adverb Ventures, Airtree Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Alven, Arrive, Ascend Vietnam Ventures, Avenir.
Xwing has raised $54.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $40.0M Series B in April 2021.
