JOBY AVIATION ACQUIRES DEFENCE FIRM RESONANT SCIENCES FOR $500M

Joby Aviation announced an agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences, an Ohio-based defence contractor, for $500 million in cash and stock, according to a regulatory filing. The electric air taxi developer said it would finance the deal with $450 million in cash and $50 million in equity. The acquisition is expected to close in early 2027. Resonant Sciences, founded in 2015 and based in Dayton, Ohio, will become a dedicated defence division within Joby under the leadership of co-founder and CEO J. Micah North.

Resonant Sciences develops radio frequency, sensor and signal-processing systems for military and commercial aircraft. The company employs approximately 250 people, many of whom hold military security clearance. Its products are qualified across more than 20 commercial and defence airframes. Joby said the acquisition would allow it to combine its propulsion and autonomy technology with Resonant's capabilities in radio frequency, sensing and mission systems. The new defence division will absorb Joby's existing defence projects, including development of turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft.

The deal reflects a broader trend within the electric aviation industry to pursue military contracts as a revenue stream. Joby's commercial division remains focused on electric air taxi development, with passenger operations expected to launch later in 2026. The acquisition signals Joby's strategy to expand beyond the urban air mobility market into the defence sector during a period when the commercial air taxi industry faces rising costs and extended regulatory approval timelines.