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Joby Aviation builds out defense business with $500M acquisition
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Joby Aviation acquired Resonant Sciences to launch a dedicated defense business that will fund its electric air taxi program.
The deal gives Joby an immediate source of defense revenue and access to classified U.S. government programs, reducing reliance on the long-timeline air taxi certification process. It also adds radio frequency and sensing expertise that can be integrated into Joby’s aircraft platforms. For engineers, this creates a dual-use development path that may shift priorities in propulsion, autonomy, and systems integration.
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Joby will absorb its existing defense projects into a new division led by Resonant Sciences’ co-founder and CEO.
The acquisition provides roughly $100 million in annual revenue and entry to classified defense programs.
Resonant’s radio frequency and sensor technology is intended to complement Joby’s eVTOL and hybrid-propulsion efforts.
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The acquisition creates a separate defense business unit within Joby, headed by the former CEO of Resonant Sciences, and transfers Joby’s current defense initiatives, including turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft work and an autonomy stack, into this unit. This organizational change isolates defense activities from the civil air taxi team, allowing each to operate with distinct leadership and goals.
Financially, the deal brings Joby a cash-flow positive business: Resonant reported $100 million in trailing twelve-month revenue and holds contracts with classified U.S. government programs. This mirrors Joby’s earlier purchase of Blade Air Mobility, which was used to generate near-term revenue while the eVTOL program matured.
Technically, Resonant’s expertise in radio frequency and sensing systems is seen as complementary to Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, potentially enhancing navigation, communication, and payload capabilities for both defense and civil variants. The integration could also support Joby’s hybrid-propulsion demonstrators by providing sensor suites needed for autonomous flight tests.
However, the strategy carries risks: integrating two distinct cultures and technology stacks may incur undisclosed costs and slow progress on either front. If defense revenue does not meet expectations or if classified program access proves limited, Joby could find itself diverted from its primary goal of certifying and manufacturing its electric air taxi, with the defense unit becoming a financial burden rather than an enabler.
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