Pablo Air

Pablo Air is a South Korean startup that specializes in drone-based services for medical, food, and ecommerce deliveries. Its solutions are also pitched toward military applications and drone art shows. The drones used for delivery applications can carry a payload of 66 lbs. The company’s business model involves providing drones and software on a SaaS basis.

As of March 2024, the company operated drone-based delivery flights in South Korea (tests in Incheon, Daegu, and Jeju Island; commercial flights in Gapyeong) and New York (demonstrations). It has a US subsidiary, Pablo Air International, in Phoenix, Arizona, and also looks to expand services to Southeast Asia.

Key customers and partnerships

Pablo Air has partnerships with retailers such as 7-Eleven and CU for grocery delivery projects in South Korea. The company’s operations in the US include 1) partnering with logistics company NGL Transportation for drone-based first-mile deliveries (August 2021), and 2) joining a consortium to demonstrate deliveries in New York (September 2021).

The company also has product partnerships with 1) Delivery-EZ to jointly develop an unmanned delivery station and a mailbox for drones, 2) the Aerospace Arizona Association to obtain ground and institutional support for US expansion (both in August 2021), and 3) Hyundai Subsidiary 42air to improve its drone-based delivery system (June 2023).

Funding and financials

In October 2023, Pablo Air raised KRW 21 billion (USD 15.5 million) in a pre-IPO funding round to expand into international markets, develop export channels for drone sales, and strengthen the company's technological capabilities. The company also intended to allocate 10% of the funding to reinvest in startups that can create synergies with its operations. Pablo Air planned to list the company in 2H 2024.