According to Greg Bowles, this initial contract has helped Joby Aviation raise more than $2 billion in private capital since it started working with DIU.
It was more than just a routine aircraft delivery when Joby Aviation's first electric air taxi touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California towards the end of September.
This significant achievement marked the end of years of collaboration with the innovation community inside the U.S. Defense Department to explore the potential military applications of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, an as-yet-unproven capability. It also functioned as a test example for how customized procurement procedures may assist non-traditional businesses in navigating Pentagon red tape.
The work commenced in 2016 when Joby was granted a $20 million contract by the Defense Innovation Unit, the Pentagon's commercial technology center, to monitor flight testing and collect information on the aircraft's electric propulsion system.
According to Greg Bowles, head of government affairs at Joby, the fledgling company based in Santa Cruz, California, was not eager to collaborate with the government at the time, instead concentrating on the commercial market for its aircraft. Since the company began establishing a relationship with DIU, more than $2 billion in private capital has been raised, according to Bowles, because of this first contract, which not only helped finance early testing but also demonstrated to private investors that the Pentagon saw promise in the company's work and the electric vehicle market as a whole.
