Grid Aero, an aerospace and defense startup developing low-cost autonomous aircraft for long-range operations, has raised $20 million in Series A funding to accelerate deployment of its uncrewed airlift platform.The round was co-led by Bison Ventures and Geodesic Capital, with participation from Stony Lonesome Group and Alumni Ventures. Returning investors included Ubiquity Ventures, Calibrate Ventures and Commonweal Ventures.Grid Aero builds rugged autonomous aircraft designed to carry thousands of pounds over thousands of miles. The company pairs simplified, low-cost airframes with advanced autonomous systems to enable operations from austere or degraded locations where infrastructure is limited, airspace is contested, or traditional logistics assumptions no longer apply. The aircraft are designed to be deployed forward and operated at fleet scale at a lower cost than legacy platforms.“We’re focused on solving major problems for the warfighter, starting with contested logistics,” Chief Executive Officer Arthur Dubois said. “Those same challenges of range, resilience and operating in constrained environments also define many commercial, humanitarian and remote operations.”The new funding will support the transition of Grid Aero’s Lifter Lite aircraft from testing into operational deployments, including participation in major exercises and early customer use cases. The company plans to accelerate the move from a validated prototype to a fielded platform.Founded just over a year ago, Grid Aero has aligned its development with priorities identified by the U.S. Department of Defense, which last year highlighted contested logistics, applied artificial intelligence and scalable autonomous systems as critical technology areas.“What Grid Aero has accomplished in less than 18 months is rare,” said Ben Hemani, founding partner at Bison Ventures. “They’ve already built their flagship aircraft and are creating a logistics capability that operates where traditional systems can’t.”While defense remains a core focus, Grid Aero is also drawing interest from commercial and humanitarian sectors. Partnerships with Everts Air and Aviation Without Borders demonstrate how the platform could support remote communities and relief missions in areas where conventional aviation solutions are limited.

2026-02-09 - Grid Aero raises $20 million to scale autonomous airlift aircraft (UAS Magazine)

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Grid Aero has raised $20 million in Series A funding to scale its autonomous long-range airlift aircraft. The startup aims to deploy low-cost, uncrewed platforms for contested logistics, humanitarian missions and remote operations.

Grid Aero raises $20 million to scale autonomous airlift aircraft

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Grid Aero raises $20 million to scale autonomous airlift aircraft