The verified answer
As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies Pipistrel: 1 model, $242.0M raised, 1 active incident. 2 sources back the record.
CategoryDrones
Overview
Slovenian electric aircraft pioneer and global leader in electric aviation, headquartered in Ajdovščina. Founded in 1989 by Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel achieved the world's first EASA type-certification for a fully electric aircraft with the Velis Electro in 2020. The company was acquired by Textron in 2022 for 42M and now operates as part of Textron eAviation, maintaining its brand, HQ, and R&D in Slovenia.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- 1 incident on file
Valuation of record
Company-claimedPriced roundAcquisition post-money
Key facts
Founded
Certification
Operations
Parent company
Expertise
Noise
Products
Founder
President & MD
Key milestone
Units delivered
Certified engine
Data & sources
News coverage
1
Web sources
1
2 sources backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →Pipistrel on the deployment map
View the global mapPipistrel has no verified deployments on the DEPLOY registry yet. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
No verified deployments for Pipistrel on the DEPLOY record yet. Track Pipistrel to know the moment the first one is verified.
Relationships
Current leadership (2)
- Ivo Boscarol Chairman Emeritussecondary-verified
- Gabriel Massey President & Managing Directorsecondary-verified
Founders (1)
- Ivo Boscarolcofounderno longer at company
Former / Previously (1)
- Ivo Boscarol Founder & CEOsecondary-verified
Safety record
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Incidents affecting Pipistrel (1)
Includes incidents linked directly to this company, to its models, or to deployments of its models or under its operation. Retracted incidents are excluded from this view but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Operator customers (1)
- United States Air Force1 deployment
Recent coverage
Pipistrel in third-party press
Peer companies
- Amazon25 models
- Anduril Industries7 models
- DJI7 models
- Skydio6 models
- SIYI Technology5 models
- Autel Robotics4 models
Financial state
- Total funding
- $242.0M
- Reporting basis
- private_disclosed
- Lifecycle stage
- acquired
- Counterparty risk class
- low
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Funding rounds (1)
- Acquisition2022-03-17
$242M · $1.2B post
Investors: Textron (lead)
Timeline
Every recorded move in Pipistrel’s history, most recent first: funding rounds, partnerships, acquisitions, supply-chain starts, key hires, and press.
Funding roundAcquisition funding round
2022-03-17Acquisition raising $242000000
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdAug 17, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedSep 12, 2024
Velis Electro at Dayton, Ohio, USA
- Incident recordedOct 13, 2018
Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield,...
Sources (2)
Common questions
What is Pipistrel?
What does Pipistrel make?
Is Pipistrel publicly traded?
Who competes with Pipistrel?
Who is the CEO of Pipistrel?
How can I invest in Pipistrel?
How much funding has Pipistrel raised?
Who owns Pipistrel?
Where does Pipistrel operate robots?
Is Pipistrel a top robotics company?
When was Pipistrel founded?
Are there any incidents involving Pipistrel?
Is Pipistrel safe?
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-21
Verification posture
Verified
Medium confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-21
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- secondary-established-publication
- Established publication
- 1
- knowledge-base
- Knowledge base
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Pipistrel.Peer companies
- Amazon25 models
- Anduril Industries7 models
- DJI7 models
- Skydio6 models
- SIYI Technology5 models
- Autel Robotics4 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Pipistrel from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Pipistrel Velis Electro May Herald New Era of Flight Training
Electric aircraft boasts EASA certification and recent FAA exemption.
Epic Flight Academy Agrees to Purchase up to 50 Pipistrel Voyager Aircraft
Florida-based Epic Flight Academy agreed to purchase up to 50 Pipistrel Voyager aircraft to supplement its fleet of 70 training aircraft.
Pipistrel Velis Electro Serial Number 100 Enters Service
Pipistrel completed production of its 100th Velis Electro, the world's first type-certified electric aircraft, marking a production milestone.
Pipistrel Velis Electro takes flight with United States Air Force
US Air Force's Agility Prime program selected the Pipistrel Velis Electro for operational and training evaluation, leased through AFWERX and MTSI.
Textron to Acquire Electric Aircraft Pioneer Pipistrel
Textron announced agreement to acquire Pipistrel for 42M, forming Textron eAviation to focus on sustainable aircraft development.
EASA certifies electric aircraft, first type certification for fully electric plane world-wide
EASA certified the Pipistrel Velis Electro, the first type certification world-wide of a fully electric aircraft, powered by the certified E-811 electric engine.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/pipistrel.md
- RSS feed: /companies/pipistrel/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/e6fb127e-7747-4a18-a132-771412369ea6
- Revision history: /companies/pipistrel/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Amazon25 models
- Anduril Industries7 models
- DJI7 models
- Skydio6 models
- SIYI Technology5 models
- Autel Robotics4 models
Heat Index
Category contender75/100
A composite of competitive footprint, funding, press velocity, active partnerships, and supply-chain edges. Different from the Intelligence score below (which is per-form-factor productization). Non-robotics companies cap at 25.
Reality vs attention
Pipistrel draws attention at the 5th percentile but verifies reality at the 1st percentile among aerial robots. Hype Gap +3.8, 62nd widest among aerial robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Safety profile within acceptable range for category. Deployment footprint remains limited relative to category peers.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Oct 1, 2026