Full-Time
Mechanical Engineer
Poseidon Aerospace
11-50 employees
Oceanic freight by water-based takeoff
No salary listed
Alameda, CA, USA
In Person
Relocation support may be available.
Bachelor's
 Aerospace Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- Proficiency with computer-aided design software such as Fusion, SolidWorks, CATIA, or NX.
- Strong understanding of structural design, stress analysis, and mechanical systems.
- Experience with finite element analysis tools such as ANSYS, Fusion Simulation, Nastran, or similar.
- Ability to apply geometric dimensioning and tolerancing and mechanical tolerancing to production drawings.
- Familiarity with composite and metallic fabrication methods.
- Understanding of flight mechanics and aircraft dynamics fundamentals.
- Comfort working hands-on with prototypes, test articles, and shop tools.
- Ability to manage projects independently in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Design and develop aircraft structures, mechanisms, and tooling using computer-aided design software.
- Perform finite element analysis to validate strength, stiffness, and load paths in composite and metallic components.
- Create detailed part and assembly drawings and documentation for manufacturing and inspection.
- Design linkages, control surface mechanisms, and mounting systems for aircraft subsystems.
- Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to ensure designs are practical, cost-effective, and easy to assemble.
- Support testing and validation of structural and mechanical systems, including fixture and rig design.
- Maintain computer-aided design libraries, revision control, and configuration management for aircraft assemblies.
- Provide design feedback to improve manufacturability, maintainability, and structural efficiency.
- Experience with bonded composite structures or hybrid assemblies.
- Background in actuation systems, linkages, or motion mechanisms.
- Knowledge of vibration, fatigue, or modal analysis.
- Hands-on experience with machining, additive manufacturing, or assembly tooling.
- Familiarity with design for manufacturing and design for assembly.
- Proficiency in MATLAB or Python for analysis and process automation.
- Exposure to aerospace certification or flight test environments.
Poseidon Aerospace provides oceanic freight transportation by using water-based takeoff and landing to move cargo, avoiding traditional airports. Its craft operate in ground effect over water, increasing payload capacity and efficiency. Regulated by the coast guard, the company can enter the market with fewer barriers compared with standard aviation. Its main customers are logistics and freight companies, and it earns revenue from freight transport services. Compared to conventional air freight, Poseidon Aerospace differentiates itself by using infrastructure-free, water-based operations that reduce airport fees and minimize delays from congested routes. The company aims to offer a cost-effective and efficient alternative for freight transport by leveraging its unique waterways-based, ground-effect approach.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$72.4M
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2023
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Poseidon closed a $60 million Series A on September 8, 2026.
- Egret's first uncrewed flight targets year-end 2026 after mid-2026 testing.
- Poseidon expanded into Alameda's former Navy hangar and is hiring for production.
What critics are saying
- FAA Part 23 certification and autonomy supplement remain unresolved before 2028 deliveries.
- A failed year-end Egret flight kills follow-on capital and commercial certification.
- Xwing, Reliable Robotics, and Elroy Air already race for cargo autonomy customers.
What makes Poseidon Aerospace unique
- Poseidon combines seaplane Heron and STOL Egret for runway-free cargo missions.
- Its fixed-wing combustion approach avoids VTOL and battery constraints that cripple payload.
- TQ Ventures backed a full-stack operator model, not aircraft sales, in September 2026.
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Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 15%1 year growth
↑ 15%2 year growth
↑ 30%Unmanned cargo aircraft startup Poseidon Aerospace raises $60 million ahead flight testing. Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 Poseidon Aerospace, which is developing unmanned cargo aircraft for commercial and defense logistics, has raised $60 million in a Series A round that will be used for the upcoming flight-test campaign of its first full-scale aircraft, establish a production line and hire more employees. The investment was led by TQ Ventures. Egret is Poseidon's flagship unmanned aircraft, a regional freighter slated to conduct its first uncrewed flight this year. The aircraft has a payload capacity of 4,000 pounds, a range... Not a subscriber or registered user yet? Please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.
Poseidon Aerospace, which plans the first test flight of its pilotless cargo plane by year-end, raised a $60M Series A led by TQ Ventures, after an $11M seed (Sean O'Kane/TechCrunch). Sean O'Kane / TechCrunch: Poseidon Aerospace, which plans the primary check flight of its pilotless cargo airplane by year-end, raised a $60M Sequence A led by TQ Ventures, after an $11M seed - Silicon Valley is understood for embracing the ethos of "transfer quick and break issues." Poseidon Aerospace's co-founder and CEO David Zagaynov simply needs to maneuver issues quick. September 9, 2026 September 8, 2026
The startup is trying to rethink the economics of cargo aircraft by removing pilots from the equation entirely.
Poseidon Aerospace raises $60 million ahead of first pilotless cargo plane test flight. Poseidon Aerospace has raised $60 million to develop autonomous cargo aircraft and prepare for the first test flight of its Egret plane. Sep 8, 2026 - 12:27 Poseidon Aerospace has raised $60 million in Series A funding as the company prepares for the first test flight of its uncrewed cargo aircraft, Egret, expected by the end of this year. Consult Corporate Lawyers Discover more Form An LLC Compare Business Loans Try Operations Software The round follows an earlier $11 million seed investment and will help the startup expand development of autonomous cargo aircraft to reduce the cost of regional air logistics. The company's mission is to move freight more efficiently rather than develop expensive new aviation technologies. Building autonomous cargo aircraft. CEO David Zagaynov and co-founder Parker Tenney founded Poseidon Aerospace after identifying an opportunity to improve cargo transportation through automation and simpler aircraft designs. The company is avoiding some of the approaches used by many advanced air mobility startups. Instead of vertical takeoff systems or electric and hydrogen powertrains, Poseidon is developing fixed-wing aircraft powered by conventional combustion engines. The startup's Egret aircraft and its seaplane variant, Heron, are designed around autonomy and remote operation. Poseidon says removing the need for onboard pilots could cut operating costs and let aircraft spend more time transporting cargo. Defense and commercial cargo markets. Poseidon is initially targeting defence applications and regional commercial cargo operations. The company is designing aircraft to serve remote communities and areas with limited traditional air cargo infrastructure. For commercial operations, Poseidon plans to operate its own regional air cargo network instead of selling aircraft. The company aims to compete for logistics demand from major cargo operators and businesses. Discover more Join Trade Groups Try CAD Software Preparing for first flight. Poseidon previously developed and tested a smaller-scale version of its aircraft called Seagull before moving toward a full-size vehicle. The company has expanded operations into a former Navy hangar in Alameda, California, as it prepares for production and flight testing. Consult Corporate Lawyers The company previously announced its $11 million funding round to support the development of unmanned cargo aircraft technology. Poseidon has also shared details about its aircraft development through a video presentation showing its approach to autonomous cargo aviation. A changing aviation landscape. Poseidon is entering an aviation market where regulators have become more open to testing new aircraft technologies. The Federal Aviation Administration has introduced programs supporting emerging aviation companies, creating more opportunities for startups developing new aircraft systems. The company believes autonomous cargo aircraft could create a more flexible logistics network by allowing routes to change more easily based on demand without the limitations of traditional pilot-based operations.
Poseidon is reimagining logistics with autonomous aircraft built to move goods faster,cheaper, anywhere they're needed. We are building the unmanned backbone of tomorrow's logistics.