MIGHTYFLY Awarded a U.S. Air Force Contract to Develop the autonomous loading and unloading system that will enable its autonomous cargo aircraft to perform autonomous deliveries
San Francisco Bay Area, CA – WEBWIRE – Friday, November 3, 2023
MightyFly announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25 Million focused on MightyFly’s Autonomous Load Mastering System (ALMS) to allow MightyFly’s autonomous hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft to load, unload and deliver cargo autonomously and to address the most pressing expedited logistics challenges.
MightyFly’s Autonomous Load Mastering System will provide automation, efficiencies and cost savings to businesses and governments. It will enable MightyFly’s MF100 third-generation aircraft to deliver point-to-point, same-day and expedited delivery services that are faster, more efficient, reliable and economical than incumbent express logistics services. The MightyFly solution is ideal for logistics, supply chain, manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, automotive and oil and gas industries, for National and State parks, humanitarian and disaster relief organizations, and for defense and nondefense governmental agencies.
“The MightyFly team is working to revolutionize expedited logistics via large, autonomous, hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft. To be chosen by AFWERX for this SBIR Phase II contract signifies a vote of confidence in our mission and technical expertise. We are honored to partner with the U.S. Air Force and to leverage our know-how to develop a system that directly addresses agile and expedited logistics needs and provide a major feature that is needed for the successful integration of autonomous aircraft within logistics,” said Manal Habib, CEO of MightyFly.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now in October 2023, MightyFly will continue its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the United States of America.
Additionally, MightyFly announces that, in September 2023, it welcomed Tim Draper, through Draper Associates, to its investors. Draper Associates is a leader in early-stage venture capital for tech companies and well known for encouraging entrepreneurs to drive their businesses to greatness and to transform industries with new technologies. With this financing round, MightyFly is advancing the development of its autonomous cargo aircraft, which will bring key capabilities to the expedited delivery market, and boosting the company’s go-to-market efforts.
“We backed MightyFly because of their incredible team. If you absolutely need something delivered right now, MightyFly can deliver it. I suspect MightyFly will save many lives, deliver important contracts, fix many vehicles and machines, and solve many problems we haven’t even thought of yet. For short haul, medium loads, this company has your solution,” said Tim Draper, Founding Partner of Draper Associates.
MightyFly is scheduled to complete the manufacturing of its third-generation MF100 aircraft later this year, is scheduled to publicly debut its autonomous cargo aircraft performing delivery flight demonstrations with 100 pounds of payload in Michigan in 2024, and is working with partners in the planning of Proof of Concept (POC) programs in late 2024 and throughout 2025.
“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.”
For more Information:
About MightyFly
MightyFly’s mission is to provide fast, affordable and carbon neutral cargo delivery solutions to companies and governments. MightyFly is a leading manufacturer and operator of autonomous, fixed-wing, hybrid, eVTOL cargo aircraft with a cargo capacity of 100 and 500 pounds, a range of 600 miles and speed of 150 mph. MightyFly is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and was founded in 2019 with backing from Draper Associates, At One Ventures, 500 Startups, Global Founders Capital, Graph Ventures, Halogen Ventures and Side Door Ventures. The company was named a “Top Supply Chain Startup to Watch” in 2022 by Business Insider. To see MightyFly’s three generations of the MF100 autonomous aircraft and learn more about its point-to-point expedited logistics services, go to www.mightyfly.com.
MightyFly autonomous aircraft flight test video
About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,697 contracts worth more than $2.6 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
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