N
Natilus
Designs and operates large scale drones
About Natilus
Natilus, Inc. was founded in April 2016 by Aleksey Matyushev and Anatoly Starikov. The inspiration for the company came from the founders' own experiences with the inefficiencies of international shipping while running their industrial design firm. They identified a critical gap in the logistics market: sea freight, while inexpensive, is slow, and air freight, while fast, is prohibitively expensive. This led them to establish Natilus to create a more efficient and cost-effective solution for air cargo.
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The company is focused on the design and manufacturing of a family of blended-wing-body (BWB) autonomous cargo aircraft. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are engineered to reduce the cost of air freight by 60% and lower carbon emissions by 50%, directly competing with traditional air and sea transport. Natilus serves the global air freight market, targeting logistics companies and businesses that require timely and affordable shipping solutions. The business model revolves around the production and sale of these specialized cargo drones.
Natilus's product line includes several autonomous aircraft models, each designed for different cargo capacities and ranges. The BWB design is a key feature, offering greater fuel efficiency and cargo volume compared to conventional aircraft. By automating the aircraft, Natilus eliminates the need for pilots, further reducing operational costs and complexities. The company relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego in 2021 to expand its operations and be closer to key aerospace and defense industry partners.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- San Diego, United States
- Employees
- 47
- Open positions
- 2
- Dealroom signal
- 86.4/100
- Sub-industry
- Autonomous & Sensor Tech, Logistics & Delivery
- Sector
- Defence, Drones, Space Tech, Space Tech for Aviation, Space Downstream, Dual-Use Tech
- Technology
- Deep Tech, Autonomous & Sensor Tech, Connected Device
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b, b2c
Latest news
Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning Natilus.
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERIES A✓Equity / VC | Feb 2026 | $28M | $112M | Liquid 2 Ventures · VU Venture Partners · Type One Ventures · The Veteran Fund | ↗ |
| OtherOther financing | Dec 2022 | $0 | — | VU Venture Partners · Vectors Angel · Flucas Ventures · Lateral Capital Management | — |
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for Natilus is 5.5K monthly website visits, down 38.9% over the last three months. Natilus's team grew 30.6% over the past year.
Open positions
Similar companies
Company identity and context are open; selected comparison metrics preview what is available on the platform.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed2 investors entered at this stage
Starburst Accelerator
Seraph Group
Series A13 investors entered at this stage
Flucas Ventures
Duro
New Climate Ventures
H.E.N.R.Y Collective Ventures
Draper Associates
Liquid 2 Ventures
VU Venture Partners
Type One Ventures
The Veteran Fund
Wave Function
Flexport
Soma Capital
New Vista Capital
Other known investors12 additional known investors
Lateral Capital Management
Vectors Angel
Andrew Lopez-Gallego
Aurum Venture Partners
Beni VC
DVC
Gelt Venture Capital
Interlock Capital
IPO CLUB- JIJacob Joe I
Peter Bordes
Realm Capital Ventures
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about Natilus on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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