Joby Aviation has entered into a $500 million agreement to purchase Resonant Sciences, a transaction aimed at enhancing its technology suite and expanding its reach within the defense sector.
Outlined in a regulatory filing on Tuesday, the deal involves a combination of cash and stock. For Joby, headquartered in California and renowned for its electric air taxi innovations, this acquisition represents a major push to win more government and defense contracts while continuing to move forward in its main urban air mobility efforts.
Resonant Sciences to Establish Joby’s New Defense Arm
Post-acquisition, Resonant Sciences will serve as Joby Aviation’s dedicated defense division. Resonant, which is based in Ohio, brings expertise in radio frequency and sensor systems and has prior involvement with classified U.S. government work. The company’s co-founder and chief executive, J. Micah North, is set to lead this newly created segment. This unit will bring together all of Joby’s military projects, from the development of turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft to work on sophisticated autonomy technologies.
With this restructuring, other Joby teams will be able to concentrate on the company’s central objective—getting certification, ramping up manufacturing, and preparing its signature electric air taxi for entry into the commercial market. Joby’s vision centers on deploying a network of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles to serve short-distance passenger and cargo routes in urban environments.
Stronger Defense Focus After Partnerships and R&D Milestones
Over the last two years, Joby has increasingly aimed its efforts at the defense market. In 2025, the company collaborated with L3Harris Technologies to assess a new type of aircraft: a gas-turbine hybrid VTOL capable of autonomous operation. This plan builds on the established Joby S4 platform, which originally used an all-electric propulsion system.
Continuing its wave of innovation, Joby in 2024 unveiled a hydrogen-electric hybrid version of the S4, created under a government-backed contract. The new prototype achieved a remarkable 521-mile flight, more than doubling the previous battery-electric S4’s maximum range. This development demonstrates Joby’s advances toward longer-range and next-generation propulsion technologies.
Strategic Purchases Reinforce Financial and Growth Objectives
In addition to advancing its technology base, the acquisition of Resonant Sciences gives Joby Aviation a strategic financial boost. Resonant brings with it a trailing 12-month revenue figure of $100 million, granting Joby access to active, revenue-producing government contracts. This approach of acquiring businesses with current income generation is becoming central to Joby’s model as the company deals with the high costs and lengthy process of bringing eVTOLs to full-scale operations.
Since its 2021 debut as a public company via a SPAC merger, Joby has been looking for paths to demonstrate short-term profitability. In another milestone, the company purchased Blade Air Mobility’s helicopter rideshare business for $125 million last year. This allowed Joby to rapidly expand its city operations, acquiring a dozen terminals in busy locations including New York City, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty, and Wall Street.
The Blade acquisition made a rapid impact, contributing $36.2 million toward Joby’s total $38.6 million second-quarter revenues. These acquisitions reveal Joby’s balanced approach: fostering groundbreaking air mobility tech for the long run, while also building near-term revenue and strengthening defense marketplace partnerships.
Future Prospects
With Resonant Sciences joining its portfolio, Joby Aviation is advancing its defense ties and broadening its technological base, positioning itself to accelerate commercial air taxi endeavors. The combination of new research activities and added revenue is intended to help sustain investor confidence as Joby progresses through the extended timeline required to bring eVTOL aircraft to certification and market readiness.