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Joby Aviation to Acquire Resonant Sciences in $500 Million Defense Sector Expansion

Electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation has agreed to acquire Resonant Sciences for $500 million in a transaction combining cash and stock, according to a recent regulatory filing. The deal marks a major expansion into the defense industry for the California-based aviation company.

What Happened

Under the terms of the agreement, Ohio-based Resonant Sciences, a developer of radio frequency and sensor systems, will become Joby’s dedicated defense business. J. Micah North, co-founder and chief executive officer of Resonant Sciences, will lead the new division.

The newly formed defense unit will take over Joby’s existing defense-focused initiatives. These include autonomous flight technology, as well as the development of turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft. By housing these operations within a separate division, Joby stated that its primary commercial organization can concentrate on certifying, manufacturing, and deploying its core electric urban air taxi network.

Key Highlights

  • Transaction Value: Joby Aviation is acquiring Resonant Sciences for $500 million in cash and stock.
  • New Leadership and Division: Resonant Sciences CEO J. Micah North will head Joby’s dedicated defense arm.
  • Financial Profile: Resonant Sciences brings $100 million in trailing 12-month revenue and existing access to classified U.S. government programs.
  • Operational Separation: Joby’s commercial teams will continue focusing on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturing and certification.
  • Defense Portfolio Integration: The division will oversee Joby’s autonomy stack, turbine-electric projects, and hydrogen-electric aircraft developments.

Why This Matters

Developing and certifying commercial eVTOL aircraft is a capital-intensive, multi-year undertaking. Since going public in 2021 via a merger with a blank-check company, Joby has utilized strategic acquisitions to establish near-term revenue streams while advancing long-term certification goals.

Resonant Sciences generates steady cash flow, reporting $100 million in trailing 12-month revenue, alongside specialized sensor and radio frequency technology that complements Joby’s flight systems. Joby applied a similar revenue strategy when it purchased Blade Air Mobility’s helicopter rideshare business for approximately $125 million, securing access to 12 terminal locations in markets including New York City, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty Airport, Manhattan, and Wall Street. In the second quarter, Blade contributed $36.2 million toward Joby’s total reported revenue of $38.6 million.

Joby’s defense presence has grown increasingly prominent over the past two years. The company previously partnered with defense contractor L3Harris Technologies to explore an autonomous, gas-turbine hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft built on Joby’s S4 platform. In 2024, Joby also demonstrated a government-contracted hydrogen-electric hybrid aircraft that flew 521 miles, more than double the range of its standard battery-electric prototype.

What to Watch Next

Following the completion of the acquisition, attention will turn to the integration of Resonant Sciences’ sensor systems into Joby’s defense and aerospace platforms. Observers will also track the progress of Joby’s new defense arm under J. Micah North as it manages government contracts and develops hybrid aircraft alongside Joby’s primary commercial air taxi certification pipeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Resonant Sciences do?

Resonant Sciences is an Ohio-based company specializing in radio frequency and sensor technologies, holding active contracts and access to classified U.S. government programs.

How much did Joby Aviation pay for Resonant Sciences?

The acquisition is valued at $500 million, structured as a combination of cash and Joby stock.

Who will lead Joby’s new defense division?

J. Micah North, the co-founder and CEO of Resonant Sciences, will lead the dedicated defense business.

How does this acquisition affect Joby’s commercial air taxi plans?

Joby stated that moving defense and specialized powertrain projects into a standalone division allows the main company to focus entirely on the certification, manufacturing, and commercial launch of its all-electric urban air taxis.

Source: Regulatory filing via the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with additional reporting by TechCrunch.