Reliable Robotics, a startup based in Mountain View, California, has secured a significant $115 million funding boost, bringing its valuation to over $1 billion. The funding will propel the company's mission to certify its autonomous flight systems, a crucial step in the commercialization of autonomous flying technology.

The company’s CEO, Robert Rose, a former SpaceX director, and his co-founder, Juerg Frefel, a long-time SpaceX engineer, are driving the push for certification. Rose expects the first critical system, the continuous autopilot engagement, to be certified in 18 to 24 months. The second system, which removes the pilot from the cockpit, is at least three years away.

Reliable Robotics is also developing a collision-avoidance radar, a solid-state system with no moving parts, which is expected to be certified by the end of 2027. This innovation aims to prevent collisions, both in the air and on the ground, making air travel safer and more efficient. The company’s ultimate goal is to certify its airline, which will be the first to use this autonomous flying technology.

While the certification process is lengthy, John Burbank from Nimble Partners believes the benefits will be profound. ‘It’s a much bigger effort and much bigger opportunity than to just build one plane,’ he said. ‘They had a really big vision nine years ago, and saw this as something needed and essential.’