Joby Aviation to Acquire Resonant Sciences for $500 Million

Updated on August 20, 2026 • 4 min read

Joby Aviation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire defense technology company Resonant Sciences for approximately $500 million, significantly expanding Joby’s presence in the U.S. defense and national security market.

Announced on August 11, the transaction will bring Resonant’s approximately 250 employees, manufacturing operations, classified infrastructure and existing defense programs into Joby.

Following completion of the acquisition, Resonant Sciences will become Joby’s dedicated defense business while continuing to operate under its existing name and leadership.

The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory reviews and other customary closing conditions.

Resonant Becomes Joby’s Dedicated Defense Business

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Resonant develops and manufactures radio frequency (RF) and mission systems for U.S. national security customers.

Its capabilities include advanced sensing, electronic countermeasures, communications, autonomous systems, low-observability technologies, structures and subsystems.

The company also performs payload integration and aircraft modification. According to Joby, Resonant’s electronics, apertures and radomes have been qualified across more than 20 commercial and defense aircraft platforms.

Resonant co-founder and CEO J. Micah North will continue to lead the business after the acquisition.

Joby’s existing defense programs will also be consolidated within the Resonant organization.

This includes work on dual-use turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft as well as Joby’s autonomy technology.

The structure is intended to allow Joby’s commercial aviation organization to remain focused on certification, manufacturing and commercialization of its electric air taxi while creating a separate organization for its expanding defense activities.

Joby Targets Autonomous Defense Systems

One of the first areas of collaboration is expected to combine Joby’s autonomy technology with Resonant’s RF sensing and signal-processing capabilities.

The companies see potential to use these technologies in software-defined autonomous systems for defense applications.

“Joining Joby gives our team access to additional engineering depth, aircraft platforms, autonomy technology and production expertise,” North said, adding that the combination could enable the companies to pursue opportunities that would have been difficult to address independently.

Joby has worked with U.S. defense and intelligence customers for more than a decade, giving the acquisition a foundation beyond its commercial eVTOL program.

Resonant Brings Existing Production and Defense Programs

Unlike an acquisition centered primarily on technology development, Resonant brings established manufacturing operations and products already supporting national security customers.

The company sells directly to the U.S. government as well as major defense contractors involved in classified initiatives and active programs of record.

Resonant generated more than $100 million in revenue during the previous 12 months, representing approximately 40% year-over-year growth.

The company has also operated at high-teens adjusted EBITDA margins in recent periods.

Its order activity has accelerated. During the first half of 2026, Resonant secured more than three times the bookings recorded during the same period in 2025, while its backlog more than doubled year over year.

Joby expects margins to increase further as recently awarded programs enter production and manufacturing volumes grow.

Acquisition Expands Joby Beyond Commercial eVTOL

The $500 million transaction represents a substantial diversification of Joby’s business beyond its electric air taxi program.

Rather than building all of the required defense infrastructure internally, the acquisition gives Joby immediate access to an existing organization with defense customers, qualified products, production capabilities and classified facilities.

Resonant, meanwhile, gains access to Joby’s aircraft platforms, engineering resources, autonomy development and manufacturing expertise.

If the transaction closes as planned, Joby will effectively operate two parallel aerospace businesses: a commercial aviation organization focused on electric air taxi certification and production, and a Resonant-led defense operation targeting RF systems, autonomous platforms and other national security applications.

For the advanced materials sector, Resonant’s existing work in low-observability technologies, structures, subsystems, apertures and radomes also places materials and structural technologies within Joby’s expanding defense portfolio.