Joby expands defense business with $500 million acquisition of Resonant Sciences
Joby Aviation agreed to buy Resonant Sciences for about $500 million to expand into defense. The deal, expected to close in H1 2027, will make Resonant Joby’s dedicated defense unit while keeping its commercial electric air taxi business separate. Resonant reported over $100 million in trailing-12-month revenue and about 250 employees.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The transaction creates a separate defense business line under Resonant’s name and management, and it combines Joby’s autonomy and propulsion programs with Resonant’s sensing and mission systems to target autonomous military aircraft and other defense applications.
Market read
A $500 million acquisition is a strategic re-positioning for Joby, adding defense contracts and facilities and potentially changing how investors value its revenue mix and execution priorities.
What to watch
No details are given on purchase price allocation, financing structure, integration plan, or contract backlog size, which are key for underwriting margin and cash-flow impact.
Background
Joby is an urban air mobility electric aircraft company pursuing FAA certification, while Resonant provides RF systems, electronic warfare, and low-observable aircraft structures for US government and defense contractors.
Ticker impact
Joby agreed to acquire Resonant Sciences for about $500 million, creating a dedicated defense business while keeping its commercial air taxi separate.
Moderate positive bias on deal headlines, with volatility around deal terms, regulatory/closing timeline, and defense program execution.
A $500 million acquisition is a concrete balance-sheet and strategy shift, and the article specifies defense contracts, facilities, and a 1H 2027 close, which can re-rate risk and revenue mix. However, no financing terms or valuation details are provided here.
Market effects
Signals continued convergence of urban air mobility and defense autonomy/mission systems, potentially supporting sentiment for adjacent UAM and defense-tech suppliers.
Expands Ohio aerospace and defense footprint by combining facilities, which may matter for local industrial and supplier ecosystems.
Reinforces US defense procurement demand for RF, electronic warfare, and low-observable structures, with potential read-through to defense electronics and autonomy markets.
Counterpoint
The acquisition could distract from FAA certification and commercial entry-into-service timelines, and defense revenue may be lumpy due to program cycles and classification constraints.
Key entities
- companyJoby Aviation
Agreed to acquire Resonant Sciences for about $500 million to expand into defense while keeping commercial air taxi efforts separate.
- companyResonant Sciences
Defense technology developer of RF systems, mission equipment, electronic warfare, and low-observable aircraft structures; expected to become Joby’s dedicated defense business.
- companyArcher Aviation
Announced a separate defense-sector move via acquisition of three Boeing subsidiaries, cited as a parallel strategy among UAM developers.
