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Joby Aviation is acquiring the autonomy division of Xwing, bolstering its near-term prospects with the U.S. Department of Defense while laying the groundwork for future commercial product development.The California-based electric vertical take-off and landing developer announced the acquisition on June 4. Joby said that the majority of the Xwing team including engineers, researchers and technologists will join the company, and all of Xwing’s technology, intellectual property and relevant contracts will transfer to Joby.
Related: Xwing is wading into the shallow end of deep learning AI
Not included in the deal were Xwing’s air carrier contracts under its wholly owned subsidiaries Martinaire and Airpac, which operate piloted cargo feeder services for UPS. Joby said that the acquisition was paid for with Joby shares, but terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
A leader in the development of autonomous technology for aviation, California-based Xwing is only the latest startup to be acquired by Joby, which is deliberately pursuing a strategy of extreme vertical integration.
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