Joby Aviation Acquires Defense Leader Resonant Sciences for $500M, Launches $750M ATM
JOBY sits 32% above its 52-week low of $6.63.
Summary
Joby Aviation announced a $500M acquisition of defense tech firm Resonant Sciences and a new $750M at-the-market equity offering program, significantly expanding its defense business while raising capital.
Key Events · M&A and Partnerships · JOBY
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Acquisition of Resonant Sciences
Joby Aviation entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences for $500 million — $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock priced at $7.4752 per share (20-day VWAP). Resonant is a defense technology company with >$100M TTM revenue, ~40% YoY growth, and high-teens adjusted EBITDA margins.
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Strategic Rationale
The acquisition creates a dedicated defense business unit for Joby, combining Resonant's RF sensing, low-observability, and mission systems with Joby's aircraft, propulsion, and autonomy technologies. Resonant brings classified infrastructure, a cleared workforce, and established programs with the U.S. government and prime contractors.
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$750M At-the-Market Equity Program
Joby entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement with Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Allen & Company, and BofA Securities to sell up to $750 million of common stock from time to time, with up to 3.0% commission. This ATM program provides capital but creates potential dilution for existing shareholders.
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Financial Impact and Dilution
The $50M stock consideration at $7.4752 implies issuance of approximately 6.7 million shares (0.6% dilution). The $750M ATM, if fully utilized at current prices, could add roughly 85 million shares (~8% dilution). Combined, the transactions could dilute existing shareholders by up to ~9%.
Analysis · JOBY · Manufacturing
In a move that reshapes its strategic profile, Joby Aviation is acquiring Resonant Sciences for $500 million — $450 million in cash and $50 million in stock — adding a fast-growing, EBITDA-positive defense business with over $100 million in trailing revenue and 40% year-over-year growth. The deal gives Joby immediate scale in defense, classified infrastructure, and a cleared workforce, while Resonant's RF and low-observability expertise complements Joby's aircraft and autonomy tech. Simultaneously, Joby established a $750 million at-the-market equity program, creating potential dilution but providing capital to fund the acquisition and ongoing operations. The combination transforms Joby into a dual-use aviation and defense platform, but the ATM overhang and integration risks are significant.
At the time of this filing, JOBY was trading at $8.78 on NYSE in the Manufacturing sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $8.7B. The 52-week trading range was $6.63 to $19.98. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 9 out of 10.