AIRO Group
{{Short description|American aeronautical company}}
The AIRO Group, also known as AIRO, is a US-based urban air mobility and drone ecosystem company founded in 2005. It is headquartered in Greater Chicago Area, Great Lakes, Midwestern US. Chirinjeev Kathuria as the AIRO group's executive chairman.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-21 |title=Jaunt Air Mobility CEO Talks AIRO Group and Latest Journey eVTOL Program Developments |url=https://www.aviationtoday.com/2021/10/21/jaunt-air-mobility-ceo-talks-airo-group-latest-journey-evtol-program-developments/ |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=Aviation Today |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Jaunt Air Mobility Agrees To Join AIRO Group |url=https://aviationweek.com/shownews/nbaa/jaunt-air-mobility-agrees-join-airo-group |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=aviationweek.com}}{{Cite web |last=Alcock |first=Charles |date=October 11, 2021 |title=Jaunt To Merge with Airo and Go Public with Wall Street Listing |url=https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-10-11/jaunt-merge-airo-and-go-public-wall-street-listing |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=FutureFlight |language=en-US}}
History and expansion
AIRO is a multi-faceted air mobility, autonomy, and aerospace company focusing on urban air mobility and drone ecosystems. It was founded in 2005 to operate AIRO Drone and Agile Defense. It was established as an air drones base company.
In 2021, AIRO acquired Aspen Avionics and proceeded with a merger with Coastal Defense. On October 6, 2021, Jaunt Air Mobility entered into a merger with the AIRO group. AIRO's subsidiary, Jaunt Air Mobility, advanced to the next phase of the AFWERX High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing Concept Challenge for the United States Air Force and United States Special Operations Command.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-08 |title=Dallas' Jaunt Air Mobility Advances in AFWERX HSVTOL Challenge With MAV 55 |url=https://dallasinnovates.com/dallas-jaunt-air-mobility-advances-in-afwerx-hsvtol-challenge/ |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=Dallas Innovates |language=en-US}}
AIRO confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-15 |title=Airo Group Holdings, Inc. Announces Confidential Submission of Draft Registration Statement Related to Proposed Public Offering |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/08/15/2498113/0/en/Airo-Group-Holdings-Inc-Announces-Confidential-Submission-of-Draft-Registration-Statement-Related-to-Proposed-Public-Offering.html |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-08-17 |title=AIRO Group gears up for initial public offering |url=https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/august/17/airo-group-gears-up-for-initial-public-offering |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=www.aopa.org}}
Description
The company works over commercial, military, robotics, crewed/uncrewed aerial systems, and multi-modal aircraft and avionics systems.{{Cite web |title=Aspen Avionics taxis toward public launch - Albuquerque Journal |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2379104/aspen-eyes-public-launch.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.abqjournal.com}} Other domains of this company include cargo transport and training. It addresses the entire drone ecosystem.
It has seven aerospace companies as its subsidiaries. AIRO Drone and Sky-Watch for commercial drones; Aspen Avionics for Advanced Avionics; Agile Defense and Coastal Defense for training; Jaunt Air Mobility for electric air mobility; Aironet are AIRO group subsidiaries.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-26 |title=AIRO Mergers Complete and Company Aligned as Preeminent Mid-Market Aerospace and Defense Company |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/07/26/2485738/0/en/AIRO-Mergers-Complete-and-Company-Aligned-as-Preeminent-Mid-Market-Aerospace-and-Defense-Company.html |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}}
Team
Chirinjeev Kathuria is the AIRO group's executive chairman.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-05 |title=Twitter, Jaunt Air, essence et inflation |url=https://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/e6cd2ae1-db13-4e6f-85ee-eafac927beb1%7C_0.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=La Presse+ |language=fr}} Joe Burns serves as the chief executive officer of AIRO Drone and of Agile Defense; John Uczekaj is the president and chief executive officer of Aspen Avionics; Martin Schousboe is the chief executive officer of Sky-Watch; Pramod Raheja is the founder and chief executive officer of Airgility; Kyle Stanbro is the founder and president of Coastal Defense; Martin Peryea is the chief executive officer and chief technology officer of Jaunt Air Mobility.{{Cite web |last=Phelps |first=Mark |date=2022-07-30 |title=Aspen Avionics Announces GFC 600 Compatibility, And Much More |url=https://www.avweb.com/air-shows-events/airventure/aspen-avionics-announces-gfc-600-compatibility-and-much-more/ |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=AVweb |language=en-US}}
Calin Rovinescu, former president and chief executive officer, Air Canada, and Mitch Garber, a global technology and growth capital investor, are investors and advisors for Jaunt Air Mobility.{{Cite press release |title=Canadian Business Leaders Calin Rovinescu and Mitch Garber Back Jaunt Air Mobility |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220405005219/en/ |date=2022-04-05 |access-date=2022-06-07 |publisher=Jaunt Air Mobility |agency=Business Wire |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last1=Seeley |first1=David |date=2022-02-08 |title=Dallas' Jaunt Air Mobility Advances in AFWERX HSVTOL Challenge With MAV 55 |url=https://dallasinnovates.com/dallas-jaunt-air-mobility-advances-in-afwerx-hsvtol-challenge/ |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=Dallas Innovates |language=en-US}}
Partnerships
AIRO partnered with Stantec GenerationAV on June 24, 2021, to work on UAS{{clarify|What is UAS?|date=September 2022}} aerial and autonomous platform solutions. Jaunt Air Mobility is working with L&T Technology Services Limited as an essential engineering partner. Jaunt Air Mobility advanced to the next phase of the AFWERX High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing Concept Challenge for the United States Air Force and United States Special Operations Command.{{Cite web |last=Alcock |first=Charles |date=August 15, 2022 |title=Air Mobility Airo Group Prepares for Initial Public Offering |url=https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-08-15/air-mobility-airo-group-prepares-initial-public-offering |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=FutureFlight |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Jaunt parent company AIRO Group announces intentions to go public |url=https://evtol.com/news/jaunt-parent-company-airo-group-announces-intentions-to-go-public/ |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=evtol.com |language=en-US}}