Copyright Los Angeles Times
Long Beach-based Odys Aviation, a dual-use aviation company building hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, closed a $26 million Series A funding round led by Nova Threshold and with investment from Tuchen Ventures and key insiders. The capital will be used to accelerate U.S. full-scale aircraft flight testing of its Laila aircraft and to expand the team as the company prepares for its first international global launch operations in Q1 2026. “This funding marks a critical inflection point for Odys,” said James Dorris, chief executive of Odys Aviation, in a statement. “We’ve already proven the technology and performance potential of hybrid-electric VTOL. Now, our focus shifts to scaling operations, bringing together the right people, systems and partners to demonstrate what a full AAM ecosystem looks like in practice, not theory.” Building on major technical milestones achieved over the past two years, Odys is entering the next phase of execution, proving that advanced air mobility is not just about aircraft in isolation but about building the operational ecosystem that will connect regions, economies and ultimately communities in entirely new ways. The Series A round follows successful integration and testing of Odys Aviation’s hybrid propulsion system and the completion of key design and certification milestones under the JARUS/SORA 2.5 framework. The company’s ongoing U.S. flight test campaign will validate full-scale flight performance and autonomy systems, laying the foundation for a seamless transition to commercial demonstration in the first quarter of 2026. “Odys is positioned to meet strong customer demand for longer-range, high-efficiency regional mobility,” said Justin Hamilton, managing director of Nova Threshold. “Their innovative aircraft and hybrid-electric propulsion system have demonstrated outstanding performance and reliability. By targeting unmanned cargo and defense applications within existing U.S. and international regulations, Odys is creating a faster, more credible path to market readiness and long-term profitability, setting the stage for future manned operations.”
