Joby Aviation pivots to defense with $500M Resonant Sciences deal

Resonant Sciences’ CEO J. Micah North will helm the new unit, which inherits Joby’s existing defense portfolio, including high-stakes work on turbine-electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft. By walling off defense projects from its primary mission, Joby aims to keep its core engineering teams focused solely on certifying and manufacturing its flagship electric air taxi. The acquisition provides an immediate financial buffer, as Resonant brings $100 million in trailing 12-month revenue and existing access to sensitive government programs.

This strategy mirrors Joby’s previous move to acquire Blade Air Mobility’s helicopter business, which provided a critical revenue stream while the company burned through cash developing its eVTOL platform. For investors, the logic is clear: the company is securing near-term income and specialized hardware expertise to offset the punishingly long, capital-intensive road toward mass-producing electric vertical takeoff aircraft.