Bengaluru-based Airbound, a provider of autonomous drone delivery services, has raised $8.65 million in seed funding. The round was led by Lachy Groom, co-founder of Physical Intelligence and former Stripe executive, with participation from Humba Ventures, senior leaders at Tesla, Anduril, and Ather Energy, as well as existing investor Lightspeed.
The company plans to use the fresh capital primarily into scaling drone manufacturing, increasing production from its current capacity of one unit per day to around 20 units daily by the end of next year. “Most of it really comes down to manufacturing, because manufacturing is the core driver of everything else… as you can make more frames, you can fly more, you can learn more from your failures, you improve reliability, and it becomes a virtuous cycle,” said founder and CEO Naman Pushp told FE.
Unlike most drone manufacturers, Airbound doesn’t plan to sell its drones. Instead, it will charge customers on a per-delivery basis, aiming to offer the most cost-effective per-kilometer goods movement in the industry. “Low cost does not mean the lowest cost drone, but the lowest cost delivery,” Pushp added.
Airbound’s ultra-lightweight aircraft, built with a carbon fiber frame and weighing just 1.5 kg, is designed for maximum efficiency. With a 1.5 kg-to-1 kg payload ratio, the company claims its delivery costs are 20 times lower than conventional methods and significantly below those of existing drone delivery peers.
By reducing the drone’s weight, the company minimises energy consumption, which in turn allows for smaller batteries and motors, lowering costs related to manufacturing, replacement, and energy charging. Airbound aims to bring delivery costs down to less than ₹1 per kilometer.
The company is currently awaiting regulatory approvals for its drone. Once cleared, it will launch a three-month pilot program with Narayana Health, targeting 10 medical deliveries per day, including blood samples, test kits, and essential supplies.
India’s drone delivery ecosystem is rapidly expanding, with startups racing to offer faster and cheaper logistics solutions. Among the key players are Techeagle Innovation, which provides autonomous drone solutions for logistics, defense, and public safety, and Gurugram-based Skye Air Mobility, focused on last-mile delivery for quick commerce and other sectors.
With this seed round, Airbound’s total funding has crossed $10 million. The company plans to expand pilots beyond medical use cases and gear up for wider market adoption by 2026.