China's Weizhi Aviation raises $15M to scale regional cargo drones
What's the deal? Weizhi Aviation, a Chinese maker of low-cost unmanned cargo aircraft, has raised US$13.8M in a Series A round. The Zigong General Aviation Industry Development Equity Investment Fund led the round, with Hangfa Fund continuing to follow on.
What's the endgame? Founded in October 2020, Weizhi builds large fixed-wing cargo drones it pitches as cheap, durable, and practical. Its flagship Yunxiong WZ500 carries 500kg payloads over 500km, with the company claiming a unit cost one-fifth that of comparable rivals and a base platform priced under US$687.5K.
The company targets regional time-sensitive freight — routes between counties and hubs that are too long for trucks but too short for full cargo jets. The new capital will fund research on new aircraft, airworthiness certification, and market expansion.
Why now? China's parcel volume rose from 108.3 billion items in 2021 to 198.95 billion in 2025, averaging roughly 15.4% annual growth, with county-level demand the main driver. In the first three quarters of 2024, parcel volume in central and western China hit 37.7 billion items, up 34% year-on-year — far above the 14.9% in eastern regions.
What's the progress? As of May, the WZ500 had logged more than 12,000km in cumulative flight tests, including minus-30°C high-altitude conditions, 95% coastal humidity, and desert operations. The Civil Aviation Administration recently granted the model a special flight permit, approving demonstration and test flights at four airports.
Weizhi says purchase intentions have climbed to 158 aircraft. It is preparing a cross-sea transport pilot with a major state-owned enterprise in the Hainan Free Trade Zone, and three pilot routes have been approved.
What could go wrong? A special flight permit is not full airworthiness certification or a commercial cargo licence. Under civil aviation rules, flights under such permits are limited by purpose and conditions, so the test milestones do not amount to routine commercial operations.
The signal: The round reflects low-cost economy capital tilting toward aircraft development, testing, and certification. But the field is crowding fast, and the payoff hinges on converting flight validation into certified, repeatable cargo operations — and on driving per-unit and running costs low enough to win real, repeat orders — rather than on headline funding figures.
Read more: 36kr.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
