Joby Aviation confirmed on May 27, 2025, the closure of the second tranche of Toyota’s previously announced funding round.
In October 2024, the Japanese car making group announced an investment of US$500 million in the US advanced air mobility firm, which would be disbursed in two installments of US$250 million. Joby received the first of those installments in late 2024. This additional investment brings Toyota’s total investment in Joby to $894 million, making it the largest shareholder in the US startup.
Shares in Joby rallied in the stock market shortly after the announcement, experiencing an intra-day surge of 25%.
In the 8-K financial regulatory filing confirming the equity investment, Joby hinted at the possibility of Toyota starting air taxi services in Japan as soon as Joby’s S-4 aircraft secures the required certification and all required permits from the Japanese aviation authorities.
Although plans to conduct demonstration flights at the Expo 2025 Osaka have not yet materialized, Japan remains a strategic market for Joby. In November 2024, the US advanced air mobility firm even brought one of its test aircraft temporarily from California to Japan in order to showcase its capabilities to local partners, authorities, and potential customers.
