{"id":85075,"date":"2026-02-11T13:27:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/891427504"},"modified":"2026-02-11T13:27:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:27:04","slug":"technology-natilus-targets-cargo-drone-prototype-after-funding-round-aerospace-firm-natilus-has-secured-28m-in-funding-that-it-hopes-will-allow-it-to-build-its-regional-cargo-drone-in-the-next-24-mon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/technology-natilus-targets-cargo-drone-prototype-after-funding-round-aerospace-firm-natilus-has-secured-28m-in-funding-that-it-hopes-will-allow-it-to-build-its-regional-cargo-drone-in-the-next-24-mon\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology Natilus targets cargo drone prototype after funding round Aerospace firm Natilus has secured $28m in funding that it hopes will allow it to build its regional cargo drone in the next 24 months. 11 February 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aerospace firm Natilus has secured $28m in funding that it hopes will allow it to build its regional cargo drone in the next 24 months.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The US company said that the Series A finanacing was led by Draper Associates and includes strategic investors with a focus on aerospace, defence, and global freight logistics including: Type One Ventures, The Veterans Fund, and Flexport.<\/p>\n

The company said that it would use the money to complete manufacturing of its first full-scale prototype of regional cargo blended-wing plane KONA, which is expected to fly in the next 24 months.<\/p>\n

The model can carry 3.8 tons of cargo and can be operated either manned or unmanned.<\/p>\n

The KONA can land on shorter, gravel runways, meaning it can transport cargo to remote locations. Meanwhile, the company claimed that its blended-wing aircraft design can reduce fuel usage by 30%, and carbon emissions and operating costs by 50%.<\/p>\n

News of the fuding is one of a series of developments over the past year. In July, it was awarded a patent for KONA\u2019s diamond-shaped cargo bay<\/a> and in March, it initiated the launch of its first domestic manufacturing site search that will be able to build around 60 KONA per year.<\/p>\n

In a press release, the company said that aircraft demand levels are outpacing the manufacturing capabilities of  Boeing and Airbus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe aviation market is ripe for a new aircraft manufacturing entrant,\u201d said Tim Draper, founding partner of Draper Associates.<\/p>\n

\u201cNatilus\u2019s innovative and technology-driven approach to developing blended wing aircraft has opened the doors for airfreight and passenger airlines alike to embrace these new planes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aleksey Matyushev, co-founder and chief executive of Natilus, added: \u201cWe\u2019re not just building aircraft. We\u2019re reshaping the future of aviation beyond the limitations of the tube-and-wing airframe to fundamentally transform how we transport goods and people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this latest funding and newest personnel additions, we are strongly positioned to bring our family of blended-wing aircraft to market, disrupting the Boeing-Airbus duopoly and bringing much-needed innovation to the aviation industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natilus will also use the fuding to further invest in the development of its second aircraft, HORIZON EVO, a 200 passenger aircraft intended to compete with the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321-neo.<\/p>\n

Currently, Natilus\u2019s commercial product order book stands at 570 aircraft, with reservations from companies such as SpiceJet, Nolinor Aviation, Flexport<\/a>, and Ameriflight.<\/p>\n