Indian drone startup Airbound has raised $8.65 million in seed funding to accelerate its mission of creating the world’s most efficient drone delivery network. The round was led by Physical Intelligence co-founder Lachy Groom, with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Humba Ventures, and senior leaders from Tesla, SpaceX, and Anduril.

Founded in 2020 by 20-year-old Naman Pushp, Airbound is pioneering ultra-light blended-wing-body drones designed for cost-efficient, high-speed deliveries. The startup is currently piloting operations with Narayana Health in Bengaluru, targeting one-cent delivery costs through its rocket-like, tail-sitter aircraft, which achieves up to 20 times lower delivery costs than conventional systems by optimizing aerodynamics and energy efficiency.

Airbound’s TRT drone costs $2,000 to produce and operates at ₹24 per delivery, with ambitions to bring that down to under ₹5 by 2026. The company plans to scale production from one to over 100 drones daily and reach one million deliveries a day by mid-2027. With strong backing from global investors, Airbound is poised to redefine logistics efficiency, expanding from medical deliveries to quick commerce, food logistics, and international markets.