Reliable has run test flights and has a contract with the US Air Force, with commercial and military customers placing more than 200 orders for its technology, according to the company.

Reliable Robotics Corp. secured $160 million in new funding -- pushing its valuation to nearly $1 billion -- as the Silicon Valley startup makes a bigger push for US regulatory approval of its automated flying technology.

With the new funds, the company will hire more engineers to develop and submit a "mountain of evidence" to the Federal Aviation Administration demonstrating that its system is safe and operable for commercial cargo flights in the US, according to Robert Rose, the company's chief executive officer and a co-founder.

"We know what needs to be done," Rose, who is an alum of SpaceX and Tesla Inc., said in an interview. "We just need to execute, and that's going to require scaling."

Reliable, based in Mountain View, California, has been working with the FAA to certify its system, which includes an aircraft operating on autopilot, including takeoff and landing, with a human monitoring and having the ability to maneuver the plane if needed.

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The company has run test flights, and the US Department of Defense deemed the its fully uncrewed system airworthy for military operations, landing the firm a contract with the US Air Force. Reliable will begin flight demonstrations for the military this year, with the intent to deploy the aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region for logistic purposes. Commercial and military customers have placed more than 200 orders for its technology, according to the company.

RTX Invests

The financing, led by Nimble Partners, includes existing and new investors such as RTX Ventures, a venture capital arm of aerospace and defense firm RTX Corp., Reliable said Tuesday in a statement. John Burbank, founder of Nimble Partners, will also join the company's board. The company has now raised a total of $300 million.

Rose wants to ensure that the company's remote-piloted technology is available commercially to improve safety and meet growing demand for air capacity -- a challenge for the aviation industry, which faces a perennially tight supply of pilots.

Other aviation operators have expressed interest in some of the technology that Reliable has developed on its way to autonomy. One example is an advanced radar that Rose said could help prevent accidents.

"Autonomy is the big headline, but there's actually a lot that you can do along the way to improve safety," Rose said.

SpaceX Alum's Firm Raises More Cash to Pursue Uncrewed Flights