$500 million is the consideration Joby Aviation is paying for Dayton, Ohio-based Resonant Sciences: $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock, a 90/10 split. Joby shares fell 6.5% in premarket trading on news of the deal. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
Deal terms
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total consideration | ~$500 million |
| Cash | $450 million (90%) |
| Stock | $50 million in Joby common stock (10%) |
| Expected close | H1 2027 |
| Combined manufacturing space | ~1 million sq ft across Dayton region |
The structure creates two distinct operating tracks. The Santa Cruz, California-based parent keeps its commercial eVTOL air taxi program as a standalone business and will continue developing that aircraft independently. All defense work, including Joby's hybrid aircraft and autonomous VTOL projects, moves under the Resonant Sciences banner at close.
What Resonant Sciences does
Resonant designs, manufactures, and delivers advanced radio-frequency and mission systems for U.S. national security customers. CEO JoeBen Bevirt told Reuters the systems help "aircraft see, communicate, and operate in complex environments." That capability set pairs directly with Joby's hybrid and autonomous VTOL programs. Bevirt said the combination opens new markets by linking Joby's aircraft products to Resonant's radio-frequency and mission systems.
Defense as a bridge market for eVTOL
Commercial eVTOL development has taken longer than expected, a trend that has pushed the sector toward military work as defense spending has ramped up on the back of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Joby's answer is a structural separation: the commercial team stays "laser focused on delivering on the air taxi mission," per Bevirt, while Resonant handles defense work independently. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027. At that point, Resonant Sciences becomes the formal home for Joby's hybrid and autonomy programs, and the combined entity operates roughly 1 million square feet of manufacturing, integration, and testing space across the Dayton region.