SkyDrive secures ¥8.3 Billion in pre-series D funding from Suzuki, JR East, JR Kyushu, and others

SkyDrive has raised ¥8.3 billion in Pre-Series D funding through a third-party allotment. This funding round was led by MUFG Bank, with investments from Suzuki Motor Corporation, East Japan Railway Company, Kyushu Railway Company, and seven other companies. With this latest round, SkyDrive’s cumulative funding now exceeds ¥43 billion.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive, commented:  “Since our additional Series C funding in August 2024, SkyDrive has made steady progress in the development of our eVTOL aircraft. With substantial support from our partner Suzuki, prototypes of our eVTOL have successfully completed numerous flight tests without incident, also achieving a successful demonstration flight at the Osaka-Kansai Expo site in April 2025. We are also pleased with the progress of our certification plans with the issuance by JCAB of the standards that will apply to our application for type certification. On the global business front, we have received over 380 pre-orders across seven countries, further expanding the international reach of our vision. Additionally, in this Pre-Series D round, we are honored to welcome JR East and JR Kyushu as new partners. We are confident that integrating SkyDrive’s next-generation mobility solutions into Japan’s railway networks will enable us to deliver seamless mobility services that link ground and air transport, providing a fast and convenient customer experience.

As we welcome this new investment, we would also like to express our deepest gratitude to all of the investors who have been with us from the earlier stages of our journey. These valuable partners include Suzuki, MUFG Bank, Itochu Technology Ventures, Obayashi Corporation, Kansai Electric Power, Toyoda Iron Works, NHK Spring, and SuMi Trust Innovation Investment. Through their early involvement, these shareholders have shared SkyDrive’s vision, significantly contributing to the refinement of our technology and the expansion of our business possibilities. Their unwavering support enables us to push the boundaries of innovation and work toward the wider public acceptance and adoption of eVTOL. We remain committed to advancing our development efforts as a united team, striving to bring the future of air mobility to life as quickly as possible.”

New Investors
● Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu)
● East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
● UNIVANCE CORPORATION

Returning Investors
● ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Inc.
● Obayashi Corporation
● The Kansai Electric Power Company, Incorporated
● SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
● SuMi TRUST Innovation Investment LPS
● TOYODA IRON WORKS CO., LTD.
● NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
● MUFG Bank, Ltd.

SkyDrive, founded in 2018, is working to fulfil its mission of “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution” and its vision of creating a future in which the general public, in Japan and around the world, use eVTOLs to meet their daily mobility needs. The company has been actively working to obtain type certification, a critical step toward the commercialization of eVTOL. In February 2025, Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau issued a G-1 certification basis for the SKYDRIVE SD-05, SkyDrive’s lightweight, 3-seater eVTOL aircraft.

Currently, SkyDrive is advancing its certification plans and coordinating with JCAB on the specifics of upcoming tests and their timelines. Following an agreement on the certification plan, SkyDrive will conduct extensive ground and flight tests in line with the agreed plans. The new funding will be used to strengthen the development team, enhance testing infrastructure, improve operational readiness, and accelerate activities related to certification and development.

Following on from partnerships with Osaka Metro Co., Ltd. and Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd., SkyDrive is delighted to welcome JR East and JR Kyushu as strategic equity partners in this new funding round. SkyDrive now maintains capital and business alliances with a total of four railway companies. Integrating SkyDrive’s eVTOL capabilities into existing networks operated by these partner companies will create seamless mobility solutions that effectively combine overland and air travel. These collaborations will also focus on the establishment of air routes and the development of vertiports, as well as public relations efforts designed to boost public support for widespread eVTOL use of eVTOL.