US Joby Plans to Acquire Resonant Sciences for Approximately $500 Million in H1 2027

en.Wedoany.com Reported - US aviation company Joby Aviation has reached a definitive acquisition agreement with Resonant Sciences, a defense technology company headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, for a transaction valued at approximately $500 million. The acquisition will drive the expansion of Joby's defense business, bringing scale benefits through a rapidly growing, EBITDA-positive operation that supports active US national security programs. Upon completion of the transaction, Resonant will become Joby's dedicated defense business and will continue to operate under its existing name.

Founded in 2015, Resonant Sciences employs approximately 250 people and designs, manufactures, and delivers advanced radio frequency and mission systems for US national security customers. The company is a global leader in low-observable technology, structural components, and subsystems, covering capabilities such as advanced sensing, electronic warfare, communications, and autonomous systems. It also performs end-to-end payload integration and aircraft modification, with its electronics, apertures, and radomes certified across more than 20 commercial and defense aircraft platforms. Resonant also brings classified infrastructure, qualified products, mature production operations, long-term customer relationships, and an experienced technical team. Its direct customers include the US government and major prime contractors supporting classified national security programs and active formal defense programs. With long-term facility security clearances (FCL) and accredited facilities, the company is able to execute sensitive defense programs, with over 90% of its employees holding security clearances.

Financial data shows that Resonant's revenue over the past twelve months has grown approximately 40% year-over-year, exceeding $100 million. Recent adjusted EBITDA margins have remained in the high-teens range. These margins are expected to expand further as production volumes increase and recently awarded programs enter production. In the first half of 2026, the company's order intake more than tripled compared to the same period in 2025, and backlog grew by more than double year-over-year.

Regarding integration, Resonant co-founder and Chief Executive Officer J. Micah North will continue to lead the business unit. By combining the two companies' complementary aerospace engineering capabilities, the merger will create a scaled defense growth platform, accelerate autonomy development, and expand the applications of Joby's technology. Joby's existing defense programs—built on more than a decade of collaboration with defense and intelligence customers, including the development of dual-use turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft, as well as a dual-use autonomy technology stack—will all be consolidated into this new unit, allowing Joby's commercial aviation organization to focus on the certification, manufacturing, and commercialization of electric air taxis. The combination of Joby and Resonant is also expected to create significant opportunities in adjacent markets, with the initial focus expected to be on combining Joby's dual-use autonomy technology stack with Resonant's radio frequency (RF) sensing and signal processing capabilities to develop software-defined autonomous systems for defense customers.

In terms of capacity and facilities, Resonant has approximately 105,000 square feet of engineering, integration, testing, and manufacturing space across seven buildings in the Dayton area. An additional 125,000-square-foot facility is under construction, which will more than double the total footprint upon completion, adding capacity for RF testing, advanced composites, and large-scale machining. Resonant also maintains engineering and manufacturing facilities in Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Colorado, and North Carolina. Combined with Joby's 768,000-square-foot facility in Ohio, the merged company will have approximately 1 million square feet of manufacturing, integration, and testing space in the Dayton region. This footprint is expected to foster an advanced aviation and defense technology cluster in the Dayton area, attracting aerospace talent and industry partners.

From a market positioning perspective, defense demand is accelerating toward autonomous, low-cost aircraft platforms, where advanced sensing, electronic warfare, and resilient communications are critical to mission effectiveness. Resonant already holds positions on multiple next-generation defense platforms, providing a demand base for the combined company's differentiated mission systems and platform solutions.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory reviews. Joby plans to pay the consideration with approximately $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock, with the per-share price of the common stock determined at signing. Certain Resonant employee shareholders will receive a portion of Joby common stock as consideration, retaining an ongoing economic interest in the combined company.