About Us

We are harnessing automation and electrification to make aviation safer, cleaner, and more cost-effective than ever before.

Executive Team

MICHAEL NORCIA

Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer

CHUMA OGUNWOLE

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer

VOLKER FABIAN

Chief Commercial Officer

Leadership

KYLE MOORE

Co-Founder, Embedded Systems Lead

NATHAN WHITE

Co-Founder, Head of Customer Programs

XIAO CAO

Director of Electrical Engineering

HANNAH DROESBEKE

Head of Flight Test

GARRETT RINI

Head of Airframe

JAY SPANSEL

Certification Lead

MONISHA WHITE

Senior People Operations Manager

ANDREW SCHULTZ

Head of Software Engineering

HIRA AHMAD

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

MATTHEW COLBRAN-PATTERSON

Senior Manager, Flight Operations

KELDA MAE TABARANZA

Senior Manager, Flight Operations

February 2017

The Adventure Begins

In classic startup-fashion, Pyka was started in Michael's parents' garage. The garage was not large enough to fit Pyka's proof of concept vehicle, "Big Bird," so the company moved to the backyard, where they maintained a decidedly laid back 'shoes optional' corporate culture.

June 2017

Y Combinator

Pyka was accepted into Y Combinator's summer 2017 batch. Over the course of three months, the team of five designed, built, and flew Big Bird, a bespoke 400lb UAV.

August 2017

Big Bird First Flight

Big Bird completed its first fully autonomous mission (takeoff through landing) running the first Pyka Flight Engine two weeks before Y Combinator's Demo Day. It flew beautifully!

March 2018

First Generation

After raising a $3m round out of Y Combinator, the team set about designing and building its first product, the "Egret," which was a 200lb payload 100% autonomous electric crop duster.

Read about the EGRET

May 2019

First Generation

Pyka certified the Egret for commercial operation in collaboration with the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority in mid-2019, making the first-ever human-scale autonomous electric aircraft certified for commercial work.

October 2019

Seed Stage

Pyka raised an $8m Seed+ round in late 2019.

January 2020

Second Generation

Four months after raising their Seed+, Pyka flew its second generation electric autonomous ag airplane, the "Pelican". The new aircraft incorporated dozens of design and feature improvements and carried over 3x the liquid payload of its predecessor.

October 2020

Pelican Enters Production

Pyka started serial production of the Pelican in late 2020, after completing structural load testing and flight testing programs. Most of the aircraft is manufactured at our facility in Oakland, California.

April 2021

First Customer Delivery to Latam

Pelican SN3 was delivered to one of two major launch customers in Costa Rica where the aircraft would soon go to work spraying Bananas.

May 2021

US Certification Flights

The Pelican successfully completed the final stage of flight demonstration for commercial approval in the US.

July 2021

First Flight Over Bananas

Pelican took to the skies for the first autonomous fixed wing aerial application on a banana crop in human history!

September 2021

Embraer Partnership

Pyka and EmbraerX, the R&D arm of Embraer, joined up to accelerate the future of autonomous aerial application operations in Brazil.

April 2022

Series A Funding Secured

Pyka raised $37m in Series A funding.

October 2022

Night Operation is a Go

Pyka secured the world's first approval for autonomous night spray operations in Costa Rica.

January 2023

Pelican Cargo Launch

Pyka unveiled Pelican Cargo, the world's largest zero-emission autonomous cargo UAS.

Read about the RELEASE

April 2023

Pyka Awarded ‘California Competes’ Tax Credit

Pyka was awarded a $7m California Tax Credit with the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (“GO-Biz”) to expand manufacturing of zero-emission autonomous aircraft.

July 2023

FAA Authorization for Commercial Operation in the US

Pyka secured FAA 44807 Authorization for Commercial Operation of Pelican Spray in the United States.

Read about the RELEASE

August 2023

Pyka Surpasses 50 Employees

The team celebrated with a company-wide retreat to Carnelian Bay in Lake Tahoe, CA.

September 2023

Pyka and Dole Successfully Complete Trial Phase of Pelican Spray

Dole plans to expand Pelican Spray operations in LATAM to advance Smart Farming and Sustainability Goals.

Read about the RELEASE

October 2023

Pelican Cargo Participates in UK Ministry of Defence Heavy Lift Challenge

Skyports Drone Services demonstrated Pelican Cargo’s heavy payload capacity and extended range capabilities to an audience of senior members of the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy at the UASHLC test site in Predannack, Cornwall.

Read about the RELEASE

February 2024

Pyka Delivers Pelican Cargo to AFWERX

Pyka delivers the first in a fleet of three Pelican Cargo to AFWERX, the innovation arm of the United States Department of Air Force (DAF), to explore operational use cases for large-scale, all-electric contested logistics.

Read about the RELEASE

About Us

We are harnessing automation and electrification to make aviation safer, cleaner, and more cost-effective than ever before.

Our Journey

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