Student startup raises US$1.85m for medical cargo drone transport system. - June 9, 2026 Why it matters. By dramatically speeding and securing transport of critical medical samples, the solution can improve patient outcomes and cut reliance on costly ground or traditional air couriers. It also creates a new market for autonomous, high-value logistics across healthcare and beyond. Key takeaways. * - $1.85M pre-seed round backs Haast's medical drone prototype development. * - VTOL drone flies 50-62 miles, carries 5 lb, maintains temperature control. * - Software tracks real-time chain of custody, integrating with hospital workflows. * - Pilot trials slated for early 2027, targeting sample and supply transport. Pulse analysis. The healthcare sector faces mounting pressure to move time-sensitive specimens and life-saving supplies faster and more reliably. As hospitals consolidate labs, blood banks, and specialty services, traditional ground couriers and chartered flights struggle to meet the demand for rapid, secure delivery. Delays can jeopardize diagnostic accuracy and treatment timelines, prompting providers to explore innovative logistics that bridge the distance between satellite clinics and central facilities. Haast Autonomous tackles this challenge with a vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) drone capable of 50-62 miles per flight while carrying a minimum 5 lb payload. Its custom cargo bay regulates temperature, pressure, vibration and tilt, preserving delicate biologics such as radioligands and antivenom. Integrated software provides real-time dispatch, routing, and immutable chain-of-custody records, allowing hospitals to request flights, monitor shipments, and comply with regulatory standards. The team's rapid prototyping - 13 iterations in 16 weeks using sub-$1,000 3D-printed components - earned multiple university accolades and a partnership with Airspace Link for autonomous flight coordination. Beyond immediate medical use, the platform signals a broader shift toward autonomous aerial logistics for mission-critical cargo. With $1.85 million earmarked for pilot trials in early 2027, Haast is positioned to demonstrate scalability, safety, and cost-effectiveness that could attract larger health systems and insurers. Successful deployment may also pave the way for similar solutions in organ transport, emergency response, and high-value industrial supply chains, reshaping how time-sensitive goods move across regulated airspace. The funding round underscores investor confidence in the convergence of drone technology, AI-driven logistics, and healthcare demand. Haast Autonomous has raised US$1.85m in pre-seed funding to develop a medical drone system for moving sensitive supplies between healthcare sites. The Houston-based startup, named after the Dutch word for "haste", pairs a custom aircraft with software that manages dispatch, routing and chain of custody. Chain of custody is the documented record of who handled a shipment and where it travelled, helping to protect sensitive medical materials. The company was founded by graduating Rice University students Ege Halac, Jason Chen and Santiago Brent. They developed the venture with support from the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summer Venture Studio and developed the prototype at Rice University's Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. All three plan to work on the business full time during their first year after graduation. Chen said: "We all knew we wanted to build something together, so in September 2025 we decided to sponsor a capstone design project." The founders brought in engineering students Felix Hasson, Ethan Javedan, Kenna Sanders and Caden Schmidt to help design, build and test the system. Haast aims to address a transport gap that has widened as hospitals have consolidated services such as laboratories, blood banks and specialist care. According to the founders, moving medical supplies between facilities and points of care still depends heavily on ground couriers or costly air transport. Halac said: "We need better alternatives for a fast, safe and on-demand system of transport for life-critical cargo." The aircraft can take off and land vertically, allowing it to use existing hospital infrastructure, before switching to horizontal flight for longer journeys. The current aircraft is designed for journeys of between 50 and 62 miles while carrying a payload of at least 5lb. Future versions are intended to carry heavier loads. Its built-in cargo compartment controls temperature, pressure, vibration and tilt to protect sensitive materials in transit. Potential cargo includes patient samples, antivenom, poisoning kits, radioligands and other therapies. Radioligands are radioactive substances used in some medical imaging and treatments. Halac said: "With our system, you can transport a lot of different biological samples from an outlying satellite hospital to the central facility for further testing, while also being able to provide critical supplies where they are needed faster, improving patient outcomes." Haast plans to eventually deploy a fleet of aircraft coordinated through its software platform. Hospitals can request flights, track shipments in real time and record each stage of the delivery process. Back-end systems account for aircraft availability, telemetry data and airspace constraints. Telemetry is information sent remotely from the aircraft, including data about its location, speed and condition. Chen said: "The drone is only part of the solution. "What matters is moving something from point A to point B in a way that fits into how hospitals already operate." The team produced 13 aircraft iterations in 16 weeks. It used 3D printing to test and refine the design while keeping the cost of each prototype below US$1,000. The project placed third for the Willy Revolution Award for Outstanding Innovation and won Best Aerospace or Transportation Technology at the 2026 Oshman Engineering Design Showcase and Competition. Haast also received the Chan-Kang Family Prize for Bold Ambition and the Healthcare Innovations Prize at the 2026 H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge. The founders said they have spoken with hundreds of potential customers and secured letters of intent for their services. They have also partnered with Airspace Link to support autonomous flight coordination. Haast was selected as one of 35 teams nationwide for the Oregon UAS Accelerator before being named a top 10 finalist. Chen said: "In our mission to scale autonomous aerial logistics, we have raised US$1.85 million and aim to deploy this capital in early 2027 for pilot trials and then move to market later that year." The company initially focused on transporting transplant organs, although the founders said this remains a longer-term goal. They believe the platform could also support a wider range of applications. Brent said: "What PULSE realised is that the platform PULSE is building is suited for medicine, but it really underlies a much larger problem of mission-critical transport across industries. "We are building the fastest, most secure logistics chain for the world's most sensitive cargo." Image: Quy Tran Photography