Naman Pushp began experimenting with drones at the age of 15 during the Covid-19 lockdown. His Open Drone project won $500 at a hackathon, and he reinvested the prize money into developing his first serious prototype.
Today, Pushp, 21, is the founder and CEO of Bengaluru-based aerospace startup Airbound. The company has raised $37 million in Series A funding led by Greenoaks, taking its total funding since its 2023 launch to nearly $50 million.
Airbound is developing autonomous aircraft for logistics and drone delivery. Its current TRT aircraft weighs around 1.5 kg and can carry about 1 kg of cargo. The company is also working on larger aircraft capable of carrying heavier payloads.
Airbound has completed more than 13,000 autonomous flights across Bengaluru and Guntur, including more than 1,000 flights for Narayana Health. It is expanding into e-commerce, quick commerce and food delivery while increasing production capacity.
Pushp’s long-term vision extends beyond cargo. Airbound is exploring progressively larger aircraft, with the eventual goal of developing systems that could carry people, subject to safety and regulatory approvals.
