Skyryse is getting another $300 million to make flying, even helicopters, simple and safe

Skyryse, an aviation automation startup based in El Segundo, California, has raised more than $300 million in a Series C investment, pushing its valuation to $1.15 billion and into unicorn territory.

The round, announced Tuesday and led by Autopilot Ventures, provided a multimillion-dollar boost to the startup as it nears the end of a lengthy Federal Aviation Administration certification process for its flight control system. DC will also be used to integrate its operating system, known as SkyOS, across multiple aircraft, including US military Black Hawk helicopters.

Other investors in this round include Fidelity Management & Research Company, ArrowMark Partners, Atreides Management LP, BAM Elevate, Baron Capital Group, Durable Capital Partners, Positive Sum, Qatar Investment Authority, RCM Private Markets Fund managed by Rokos Capital Management, and Woodline Partners. The startup, founded in 2016, has raised more than $605 million in equity capital.

Skyryse has had successes with investors as well as the US military, emergency medical service operators, law enforcement and private operators for its streamlined flight system. The startup stripped out dozens of mechanical flight controls like gauges and switches and replaced them with a system containing several flight computers that automate the most complex and dangerous aspects of flying.

This is not a completely independent system; The pilot still has to deal with operations. But they are designed to automate the most difficult aspects of flying, enhance pilot skills, and improve safety.

This simplicity and ease of operation — a literal swipe of a finger on a touchscreen — has won companies like United Rotorcraft, Air Methods, and Mitsubishi Corporation, which have contracts with Skyryse to integrate SkyOS into a variety of helicopters and aircraft.

Skyryse began building and testing its system on helicopters, one of the most unstable aircraft in operation. But the idea is that SkyOS can be applied to any aircraft. This initial operating system, known as Skyryse One, automates takeoff and landing, and automates in-flight emergency landings and engine exits. The company has since integrated the operating system into its Black Hawk helicopters.

Skyryse has made progress in its certification process with the FAA. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted final design approval for the company’s SkyOS flight control computers. Skyryse must now complete official flight testing and verification to obtain full certification.