Joby Aviation to acquire Resonant Sciences for $500M to boost defense capabilities
Joby Aviation announced on August 11, 2026, that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences, a Dayton, Ohio-based defense technology company, for approximately $500 million. The deal gives the California eVTOL developer immediate scale in the defense sector through an already profitable business supporting active US national security programs. Founded in 2015, Resonant designs, manufactures and delivers radio frequency (RF) and mission systems for US national security customers and is a global leader in low-observability technologies, structures and subsystems. The roughly 250-person company also works in advanced sensing, electronic countermeasures, communications and autonomous systems. A profitable defense business Resonant generated more than $100 million in trailing-12-month revenue, up approximately 40% year over year, with adjusted EBITDA margins in the high teens. Bookings in the first half of 2026 were more than three times higher than in the same period of 2025, and backlog more than doubled year over year. Upon closing, Resonant will become Joby's dedicated defense business, continuing to operate under its own name and led by co-founder and CEO J. Micah North. Joby's existing defense initiatives, including the dual-use turbine-electric hybrid aircraft it has been developing with L3Harris since 2025, and its dual-use autonomy stack, will be folded into the new unit, while Joby's commercial organization keeps its focus on certifying and manufacturing its electric air taxi. Joby expands its Ohio footprint Resonant operates approximately 105,000 square feet across seven buildings in the Dayton area, with a further 125,000 square feet under construction, alongside facilities in Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Colorado and North Carolina. Combined with Joby's own manufacturing footprint in Ohio , the acquisition will give the companies close to one million square feet of manufacturing, integration and testing space in the Dayton region. JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, described the deal as pairing "Resonant's established capabilities with Joby's globally leading aircraft propulsion technologies." North said joining Joby gives his team "additional engineering depth, aircraft platforms, autonomy technology and production expertise." Joby plans to fund the acquisition with approximately $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock, with certain Resonant employee stockholders retaining an ongoing equity stake. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Joby and Archer go defense shopping The announcement comes a day after Joby's closest rival made an almost identical move. Archer Aviation agreed to acquire Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid subsidiaries on August 10, 2026, a deal built around Insitu, the profitable ScanEagle and Integrator drone maker that generates more than $200 million in annual revenue. Within 24 hours, both leading eVTOL developers had moved to buy their way into established, revenue-generating defense businesses rather than wait for their own military programs to mature.