What Does Kitty Hawk Do?

Total employees123
HeadquartersMountain View
FoundedN/A

Kitty Hawk, officially Kitty Hawk Corporation, was an American aircraft manufacturer founded in 2010 by Sebastian Thrun and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page. The company was dedicated to designing and building electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with the vision of democratizing personal flight. Key projects included the 'Flyer,' an ultralight recreational eVTOL; 'Heaviside,' a more capable single-seat eVTOL designed for quiet flight and range; and 'Cora,' a two-seat autonomous air taxi. Cora was initially developed by Zephyr Airworks in New Zealand, which Kitty Hawk acquired, and later became a cornerstone of Wisk Aero, a joint venture formed with Boeing. Despite making significant strides in eVTOL technology and conducting numerous test flights, Kitty Hawk announced in September 2022 that it was winding down its operations. Some assets and personnel, particularly those related to the Cora project, were absorbed into Wisk Aero, which continues to develop autonomous electric air taxis.

Where Is Kitty Hawk's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the primary hub for research and development, engineering, design, prototyping, and corporate operations for its diverse eVTOL aircraft projects.

Notable Features:

The facilities likely included advanced R&D labs, engineering workshops, and hangar space suitable for the assembly and testing of experimental aircraft, reflecting its cutting-edge aerospace focus.

Work Culture:

Characterized by a fast-paced, innovative, and mission-driven environment, typical of a well-funded tech 'moonshot' company. It attracted talent passionate about solving complex challenges in future mobility and aviation.

HQ Significance:

The headquarters was significant as the birthplace of several pioneering eVTOL concepts and aircraft, contributing to the early development of the urban air mobility (UAM) industry.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters embodied values of innovation, ambition, technological pioneering, and the pursuit of a transformative vision for personal transportation.

Location:

While Kitty Hawk's primary research, design, and corporate operations were based in the USA (California), its influence and activities had a global dimension. The Cora project, with significant testing and development in New Zealand, highlighted its international operational footprint. More broadly, Kitty Hawk's pioneering work in eVTOLs contributed to a global conversation and technological race in the future of air mobility. Its intellectual property and some talent have been absorbed by Wisk Aero, which operates with a global outlook.

Street Address:

2639 Terminal Blvd

City:

Mountain View

State/Province:

California

Country:

USA

Where Else Does Kitty Hawk Operate Around the World?

Canterbury, New Zealand

Address: Various testing sites, including those near Christchurch (specific addresses for test facilities are not typically public).

Served as a primary proving ground for the Cora air taxi, enabling extensive flight testing, data collection, and operational demonstrations that were pivotal for the project's advancement, which later transitioned to Wisk Aero.

Buying Intent Signals for Kitty Hawk

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Kitty Hawk? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Kitty Hawk' leadership includes:

Sebastian Thrun - Co-Founder and CEO
David Estrada - Former Chief Financial Officer & Head of Business Operations
Larry Page - Primary Investor / Backer (Google Co-founder)

Who's Investing in Kitty Hawk?

Kitty Hawk has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Larry Page (Google Co-founder, primary financial backer)
Boeing (became a strategic partner and co-owner of Wisk Aero, which absorbed Kitty Hawk's Cora project and other assets)

What Leadership Changes Has Kitty Hawk Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

Kitty Hawk ceased operations in September 2022. This decision was the most significant event impacting its leadership and workforce, as all roles were effectively concluded. Information on specific individual executive hires or departures in the 12 months immediately preceding the shutdown is limited and overshadowed by the company's closure. Some key personnel involved with projects like Cora transitioned to Wisk Aero.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byKitty Hawk?

Discover the tools Kitty Hawk uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Kitty Hawk Email Formats and Examples

As Kitty Hawk has ceased operations, its corporate email domain (kittyhawk.aero) is no longer active for typical business communications. Historically, tech companies like Kitty Hawk commonly used formats such as [first].[last]@[domain] or [first_initial][last]@[domain]. Any success rate for these formats now would be zero.

[first].[last]@kittyhawk.aero or [first_initial][last]@kittyhawk.aero (speculative, company defunct)

Format

sebastian.thrun@kittyhawk.aero (historical speculative example, email inactive)

Example

0 (company is defunct)%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Kitty Hawk?

The VergeSeptember 21, 2022

Larry Page’s flying car company Kitty Hawk is shutting down

Kitty Hawk, the electric aviation company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, announced it is winding down operations. The company stated it was still 'working on the details of what's next,' signaling the end of its ambitious projects like the Heaviside aircraft as an independent entity....more

TechCrunchSeptember 21, 2022

Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk eVTOL company is shutting down

Kitty Hawk, the company founded by Sebastian Thrun and funded by Larry Page to pioneer electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, confirmed its closure. This marks a significant moment for the advanced air mobility sector, as Kitty Hawk was one of its earliest and most prominent players....more

FutureFlightMay 18, 2022

Kitty Hawk Claims Heaviside eVTOL Is 100 Times Quieter Than a Helicopter

Kitty Hawk released data and audio recordings suggesting its Heaviside eVTOL aircraft is significantly quieter than a helicopter during flight. The company reported noise levels of 35 dBA when flying 1,500 feet overhead, a key metric for urban air mobility acceptance. This was one of the last major public updates on the Heaviside program before the company announced its shutdown later in the year....more

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