A Bengaluru-based startup aims to make drone delivery costs negligible
Airbound, an autonomous delivery logistics company based in Bengaluru, India, has announced $8.65 million in seed funding and a pilot partnership with Narayana Health, one of India’s largest hospital networks. The round was led by Lachy Groom, co-founder of Physical Intelligence, with participation from Humba Ventures and continued investment from Lightspeed. Senior leaders from Tesla, SpaceX, and Anduril also contributed, signaling confidence in Airbound’s potential to scale hardware and autonomy systems.
Blended-Wing-Body Design for Efficiency
Airbound’s drones feature a blended-wing-body (BWB) with a vertical lift tail-sitter configuration—an unusual design that allows for vertical takeoff and landing while maintaining the aerodynamic advantages of fixed-wing flight. The company’s proprietary carbon fiber manufacturing process supports rapid production and contributes to a high payload-to-aircraft mass ratio of 1kg-to-1.5kg.
“The healthcare sector represents the perfect testing ground for our technology because it demands both reliability and efficiency,” said Naman Pushp, Founder and CEO of Airbound. “Our partnership with Narayana Health validates that our approach can handle the most critical delivery requirements while demonstrating the cost advantages that will make our service accessible globally.”
Pilot Program with Narayana Health
The partnership with Narayana Health will involve a three-month pilot program demonstrating Airbound’s capability for medical logistics. Ten drone deliveries per day will transport blood samples, medical tests, and other supplies between hospital locations. The pilot will serve as a proof of concept for one of the most demanding use cases for drone delivery.
“At Narayana Health, we are constantly exploring innovative solutions to enhance patient care and operational efficiency,” said Dr. Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health. “Our partnership with Airbound allows us to pilot a promising technology that could significantly improve the speed and reliability of medical deliveries.”
Scaling Toward Global Applications
Airbound’s mission is to make delivery costs so low that distance becomes irrelevant in accessing goods and services. The company’s aircraft design and manufacturing efficiency aim to reduce delivery expenses by up to twenty times compared to conventional logistics methods.
“Airbound’s approach to drone delivery addresses fundamental physics and economics problems that have limited the scalability of existing solutions,” said Lachy Groom of Physical Intelligence. “Their design and manufacturing capabilities position them to achieve the cost efficiency needed to make drone delivery truly viable.”
The pilot program offers Airbound valuable operational data and regulatory validation as it prepares to expand beyond medical delivery. Following its latest funding round, Airbound has raised over $10 million to date and plans to scale manufacturing capacity and hiring in preparation for broader market adoption in 2026.
For more information, visit www.airbound.co
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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