Elroy Air expanded its PIPE commitments to $175 million, with existing investors Lockheed Martin Ventures and Inflection Point participating, ahead of its planned merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VII (Nasdaq: IPXG). $75 million is already funded. What's happening - The remaining commitments are expected at closing, which the companies target for late 2026. - The June agreement values Elroy Air at $800 million pre-money, with an expected enterprise value of about $1.0 billion after closing. Why it matters - Lockheed Martin Ventures was an early strategic investor, and the two companies plan joint work on autonomous systems and business development. - Elroy holds a multi-year U.S. Army contract worth up to $46 million for cargo resupply in contested, austere environments. Going deeper - Chaparral is a hybrid-electric autonomous VTOL designed to carry 500+ pounds up to 450 miles without a runway. - Kratos is the exclusive U.S. manufacturer, with the first production aircraft planned for late 2026 in Sacramento. The fine print - Bristow's 15 early delivery reservations and other demand figures are non-binding, according to the release's risk factors. Source: elroyair.com (Business Wire) · Sep 24, 2026 https://elroyair.com/company/news/press-releases/PIPE-upsizing-to-175-million-with-lockheed-martin-ventures
Lockheed Martin Ventures backs Elroy Air as PIPE grows to $175M

Related stories

Bundeswehr bans Chinese drones, reverses 500-unit DJI contract
Germany's armed forces have issued an immediate ban on Chinese-made drones including 500 DJI Matrice M30T units contracted in November 2024, ordering replacement with German or European systems to protect military data and technological sovereignty.

Saab wins £15M Royal Navy contract for drone-detection radars on K3 Scout vessels
The Royal Navy awarded Saab £15 million to supply Sea Giraffe 1X radars for Kraken Technology's autonomous K3 Scout surface vessels. The system enables uncrewed boats to detect, track and classify airborne threats autonomously.

EU Drone Strategy 2.0 overhaul targets €35B market by 2035
European Commission announced a comprehensive overhaul of drone regulations and advanced air mobility policy, projecting a €35 billion civil and defense drone market by 2035 to close the competitive gap with the USA and China.

Amazon Prime Air wins world's first SAIL 4 approval from UK CAA for expanded drone delivery
Amazon Prime Air secured the world's first SAIL 4 Operating Authorisation from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, expanding eligible households in Darlington from 600 to 8,000 for autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight delivery operations.