Cancel
Known information
- Co-founded Pyka in Michael's parents' garage
- Moved the company to the backyard due to space constraints for the proof of concept vehicle, 'Big Bird'
- Maintained a 'shoes optional' corporate culture in the early days
- Part of the team that designed, built, and flew 'Big Bird', a bespoke 400lb UAV, during Y Combinator's summer 2017 batch
- Contributed to the development and commercial certification of 'Egret', the first product and a 100% autonomous electric crop duster
- Played a role in securing a $3m round out of Y Combinator for the 'Egret'
- Involved in raising an $8m Seed+ round in late 2019
- Participated in the development of 'Pelican', the second generation electric autonomous ag airplane, which carried over 3x the liquid payload of its predecessor
- Contributed to starting serial production of the Pelican after completing structural load testing and flight testing programs
- Part of the team that delivered Pelican SN3 to major launch customers in Costa Rica for banana crop spraying
- Involved in the Pelican's successful completion of the final stage of flight demonstration for commercial approval in the US
- Contributed to securing the world's first approval for autonomous night spray operations in Costa Rica
- Played a role in unveiling Pelican Cargo, the world's largest zero-emission autonomous cargo UAS
- Part of the team that secured FAA 44807 Authorization for Commercial Operation of Pelican Spray in the United States
- Involved in a company-wide retreat to Carnelian Bay in Lake Tahoe, CA, to celebrate surpassing 50 employees
About Pyka
Pyka is an industrial aviation company based in Oakland, CA, specializing in autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection, aiming to make aviation safer, cleaner, and more cost-effective.
Report inaccurate information