Czech eVTOL startup Zuri unveils hybrid-electric cargo drone, seeks funding

Zuri, a Czech eVTOL developer based in Prague, has unveiled a new hybrid-electric uncrewed tiltrotor built for cargo transport. The company presented the aircraft on August 27, 2026.

The drone is meant for both civilian and military use. According to the company, it can carry over 165 kilograms of cargo over a range of up to 679 kilometers, with a cruise speed of about 220 km/h. Instead of batteries, it pairs an electric motor with a thermal engine that can run on AvGas, automotive gasoline, or bioethanol, generating electricity in flight. It is remotely controlled from the ground and has automated flight functions.

The design builds on work Zuri has done since 2018, when founder Michal Illich started the company's eVTOL program. The startup says it has built and flown around 15 prototypes of varying sizes, including a hovering demonstrator tested in 2021 under controlled conditions.

Zuri is now developing a full-scale prototype called Technology Demonstrator 2.0, which has finished initial ground testing. The company is seeking to raise €6 million in a Series A round to fund flight testing of this prototype, and says it has already secured €1.1 million in commitments.

In announcing the fundraising, Zuri noted that its results so far, achieved with about €6.5 million in private investment to date, are comparable to those of larger competitors that have raised more than €300 million, according to the company's press release.