A Bengaluru-based startup goals to make drone supply prices negligible
Airbound, an autonomous supply logistics firm primarily based in Bengaluru, India, has introduced $8.65 million in seed funding and a pilot partnership with Narayana Well being, one in all India’s largest hospital networks. The spherical was led by Lachy Groom, co-founder of Bodily Intelligence, with participation from Humba Ventures and continued funding from Lightspeed. Senior leaders from Tesla, SpaceX, and Anduril additionally contributed, signaling confidence in Airbound’s potential to scale {hardware} and autonomy methods.
Blended-Wing-Physique Design for Effectivity
Airbound’s drones characteristic a blended-wing-body (BWB) with a vertical elevate tail-sitter configuration—an uncommon design that enables for vertical takeoff and touchdown whereas sustaining the aerodynamic benefits of fixed-wing flight. The corporate’s proprietary carbon fiber manufacturing course of helps speedy manufacturing and contributes to a excessive payload-to-aircraft mass ratio of 1kg-to-1.5kg.
“The healthcare sector represents the proper testing floor for our expertise as a result of it calls for each reliability and effectivity,” mentioned Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of Airbound. “Our partnership with Narayana Well being validates that our method can deal with essentially the most vital supply necessities whereas demonstrating the associated fee benefits that can make our service accessible globally.”
Pilot Program with Narayana Well being
The partnership with Narayana Well being will contain a three-month pilot program demonstrating Airbound’s functionality for medical logistics. Ten drone deliveries per day will transport blood samples, medical assessments, and different provides between hospital places. The pilot will function a proof of idea for one of the demanding use circumstances for drone supply.
“At Narayana Well being, we’re always exploring modern options to boost affected person care and operational effectivity,” mentioned Dr. Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman of Narayana Well being. “Our partnership with Airbound permits us to pilot a promising expertise that would considerably enhance the pace and reliability of medical deliveries.”
Scaling Towards International Purposes
Airbound’s mission is to make supply prices so low that distance turns into irrelevant in accessing items and companies. The corporate’s plane design and manufacturing effectivity goal to scale back supply bills by as much as twenty occasions in comparison with standard logistics strategies.
“Airbound’s method to drone supply addresses basic physics and economics issues which have restricted the scalability of present options,” mentioned Lachy Groom of Bodily Intelligence. “Their design and manufacturing capabilities place them to attain the associated fee effectivity wanted to make drone supply actually viable.”
The pilot program gives Airbound invaluable operational knowledge and regulatory validation because it prepares to broaden past medical supply. Following its newest funding spherical, Airbound has raised over $10 million so far and plans to scale manufacturing capability and hiring in preparation for broader market adoption in 2026.
For extra data, go to www.airbound.co
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory setting for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the business drone house and is a world speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand new applied sciences.
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