AIRBILITY

Established in November 2023, AIRBILITY is a South Korean advanced air mobility (AAM) company developing a family of hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company was founded by a team of five co-founders, including co-CEOs Dr. Jinmo Lee and Dr. Taekyu Reu, who bring together extensive experience from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), Hyundai Motor Company, and LG Electronics. This blend of expertise combines deep knowledge in aircraft development, including fighter jets and stealth UAVs, with commercialization and product design capabilities from the automotive and electronics industries.

AIRBILITY is engineering two primary aircraft models that utilize a modular hybrid energy propulsion system, a distributed electric fanjet system, and a vectored thrust design for high-speed, quiet operation. The first product, the AB-0, is an unmanned eVTOL with a 10-foot wingspan, designed for wide-area surveillance, reconnaissance, emergency logistics, and disaster response. It boasts a cruise speed of 125 mph, an endurance of over two hours, and a payload capacity of 10 kg. The company completed the first flight of the AB-0 prototype in 2024 and targets commercialization for 2025.

The company's flagship manned aircraft is the AB-2, a two-seat light sport aircraft designed to comply with the FAA's MOSAIC regulations. This vehicle is projected to carry a pilot and one passenger at a cruise speed of 250 mph over a range of 250 miles, with commercialization aimed for 2028. AIRBILITY targets government agencies, public organizations, and large infrastructure companies as its primary clients. The company has secured a total of ₩3.7 billion (approximately $2.6 million USD) in funding through a seed round and a Pre-Series A round, with investors including Samho Green Investment, Base Ventures, Stonebridge Ventures, and Mashup Ventures.

Keywords: advanced air mobility, AAM, eVTOL, hybrid-electric aircraft, vertical takeoff and landing, unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, surveillance drone, disaster response, light sport aircraft, Jinmo Lee, Taekyu Reu, vectored thrust, distributed electric propulsion, aircraft manufacturing, South Korea, emergency logistics, reconnaissance aircraft, carbon fiber composite, aerospace engineering