{"id":"b9504d1d-fae0-48af-a30f-df79db999751","modelId":"21a635f5-bc12-4069-9258-ec8a91898d2d","versionId":null,"locationId":"192edfdf-fa70-4354-a507-c8728ecde78b","operatorId":null,"ownerId":null,"slug":"buoyant-aero-blimp-los-angeles-california-usa","status":"operational","firstSeen":"2025-07-04T00:00:00.000Z","statusChangeReason":null,"contractType":null,"pilotOutcome":null,"endedAt":null,"unitsOnSite":null,"tasksPerformed":null,"shiftStructure":null,"hoursPerDay":null,"siteType":null,"operatorConfirmed":null,"humanSupervisionOnsite":null,"locationPrecisionTier":null,"deploymentScale":null,"siteEnvironment":null,"operatorType":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://www.buoyant.aero/case-studies/amazon","title":"Amazon Prime Video x Buoyant Aero — Heads of State blimp activation","sourceName":"Buoyant Aero (case study)","publishedAt":"2025-07-04"}],"notes":"3-day branded blimp campaign for Amazon Prime Video/MGM 'Heads of State' film along the LA coastline (Malibu to Redondo Beach), July 4th weekend 2025. 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Originally conceived for middle-mile cargo logistics in remote areas, the company now operates a 'Blimps-as-a-Service' aerial advertising platform, flying custom-branded blimps for clients like [Amazon Prime Video](https://www.buoyant.aero/case-studies/amazon). Its hybrid electric airships generate ~70% of lift from helium and 30% from tilt-rotor aerodynamic lift, with a payload target of up to 650 lb (295 kg).","status":"private (cargo blimp; California)","founded":2020,"hq":"San Francisco, CA, USA","hqLat":37.7879363,"hqLng":-122.4075201,"hqGeocodedAt":"2026-08-05T14:23:15.598Z","hqAddress":null,"hqPrecision":null,"website":"buoyant.aero","fundingTotal":null,"type":"hardware","reviewStatus":"reviewed","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByCompanyId":null,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/buoyant-aero","title":"Buoyant Aero: Bringing back blimps","sourceName":"Y Combinator"}],"keyFacts":{"0":{"label":"YC Batch","value":"Summer 2021 (S21)"},"1":{"label":"Payload","value":"650 lb"},"2":{"label":"Total funding","value":"$250K (PitchBook)"},"3":{"label":"Investors","value":"Founders Inc, Y Combinator, Soma Capital, Global Founders Capital"},"4":{"label":"Market","value":"middle-mile cargo delivery ($6B US market)"},"5":{"label":"Founders","value":"Ben Claman, Joe Figura (both MIT engineers)"},"6":{"label":"CEO","value":"Ben Claman (co-founder); Albie Brown (co-CEO/co-founder)"},"7":{"label":"Form Factor","value":"Hybrid electric airship (blimp) — ~70% helium buoyancy, 30% tilt-rotor lift"},"8":{"label":"Payload capacity","value":"650 lb (295 kg) target for full-scale version"},"9":{"label":"NYC office","value":"191 Henry St, New York, NY 10002 (per FAA waiver)"},"10":{"label":"FAA Waiver","value":"107W-2026-00686 (May 15 2026 – May 31 2030) — operations over humans and moving vehicles"},"11":{"label":"Letters of intent","value":"$5M (as of Aug 2021, including an Alaskan regional air carrier)"},"12":{"label":"Business model","value":"Blimps-as-a-Service (aerial advertising) + middle-mile cargo logistics (in development)"},"13":{"label":"Hero image candidate","value":"https://www.buoyant.aero/images/buoyant-team.jpg (source: press kit)"},"Founders":"Ben Claman (CEO) & Joe Figura","Products":"Unmanned hybrid airships for middle-mile cargo logistics","Investors":"Global Founders Capital, Climate Capital, Soma Capital","Y Combinator":"YC S21 batch"},"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"atsProvider":null,"atsSlug":null,"factoryLocations":null,"manufacturingCapacity":null,"orgType":null,"burnSignal":null,"litigationEvents":null,"insurancePostureDisclosed":null,"unitEconomicsDisclosed":null,"tickerSymbol":null,"stockExchange":null,"secCik":null,"revenueUsd":null,"revenueBasis":null,"revenueAsOf":null,"employeeCount":null,"employeeCountBasis":null,"employeeCountAsOf":null,"marketCapUsd":null,"marketCapAsOf":null,"marketCapSource":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-06T06:35:05.870Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-14T21:18:45.296Z"}},"version":null,"location":{"id":"192edfdf-fa70-4354-a507-c8728ecde78b","name":"Los Angeles, California, USA","slug":"los-angeles-california-usa","kind":"city","parentLocationId":null,"region":null,"lat":null,"lng":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"high","reviewNote":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-08T22:32:59.612Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-14T19:04:55.825Z"},"operator":null,"owner":null,"derived":{"trustTier":"unverified","currentPosture":null},"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Event","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/deployments/buoyant-aero-blimp-los-angeles-california-usa","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/deployments/buoyant-aero-blimp-los-angeles-california-usa","name":"Buoyant Aero Cargo Blimp at Los Angeles, California, USA","identifier":"b9504d1d-fae0-48af-a30f-df79db999751","startDate":"2025-07-04T00:00:00.000Z","location":{"@type":"Place","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/locations/los-angeles-california-usa","name":"Los Angeles, California, USA"},"organizer":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/companies/buoyant-aero","name":"Buoyant Aero"},"about":{"@type":"Product","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/models/buoyant-aero-blimp","name":"Buoyant Aero Cargo Blimp"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":"prototype","lifecycle_state":"active","architectural_position":{"cohort":"aerial","sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":[]}}}