Google Co-Founder Larry Page Backing 2 Flying Car Startups: Report

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 10 June 2016 09:46 IST
Highlights
  • Page has poured more than $100 million into building flying cars.
  • Zee.Aero is developing a revolutionary new form of transportation.
  • Page is also funding Kitty Hawk, that is working on a similar model.
Google co-founder Larry Page has secretly poured more than $100 million into building flying cars, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Page has backed Zee.Aero while striving to keep his involvement hidden, according to the report that cited unnamed sources described as having intimate knowledge of the flying car startup launched in 2010.

"Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, Zee is developing a revolutionary new form of transportation," the startup said on its website, which invited people with engineering skills to apply for jobs.

Zee is "working at the intersection of aerodynamics, advanced manufacturing, and electric propulsion," it said.

Advertisement

As part of a bid for secrecy, Zee.Aero employees referred to Page as "GUS," a play on "Guy UpStairs" since, for a time, the Google co-founder had a private hideaway on the second floor of their facility, according to Bloomberg.

Advertisement

It said Zee.Aero has nearly 150 employees and expanded operations to an airport hangar a little more than an hour's drive from Alphabet-owned Google's headquarters in the California city of Mountain View.

Page has spent more than $100 million (roughly Rs. 668 crores) on Zee.Aero, according to Bloomberg.

Advertisement

It also reported that Page was backing a second flying car startup, Kitty Hawk, that began operating last year not far from Zee.Aero and is taking a different design approach.

Neither Zee.Aero nor Alphabet responded to AFP requests for comment.

Advertisement

Page is pursuing a flying car dream on his own, not as part of Alphabet's investments in "moonshots" such as self-driving cars, Bloomberg said.

Google announced plans last month to open a Detroit-area technology center for its self-driving car program.

The new center in Novi, Michigan, will house engineers and others testing vehicles provided by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, according to an Alphabet statement.

Google added 100 new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid vehicles to its fleet of self-driving vehicles in a major expansion earlier in May.

The collaboration with Fiat Chrysler marked the first time the California-based Internet giant has worked directly with an automaker to build self-driving vehicles.

Google has said it would not license its autonomous car technology nor sell the self-driving minivans.

The tech titan began testing its autonomous driving technology in 2009 using a Toyota Prius equipped with Google equipment.

It now has some 70 vehicles, including Lexus cars, adapted by Google in addition to its in-house designed cars unveiled in 2014.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Nothing Phone 3a Lite India Launch Confirmed by the Brand
  2. Xbox Cloud Gaming Launched in India: Here's How You Can Start Playing
  3. Exclusive: iQOO 15's Launch Price Is Not What You'd Expect
  4. New Aadhaar App Explained: Everything You Need to Know
  5. Oppo Reno 15 Lineup Could be Powered by This MediaTek Dimensity Chipset
  6. Latest Pixel Drop Brings Adds Several New Features to Pixel Phones
  7. GoPro Max 2, Lit Hero, Fluid Pro AI Gimbal Launched in India at This Price
  8. This Security Flaw Can Let Attacker See Your Chats With AI, Microsoft Finds
  9. YouTube's New 'Ask' Button Uses Gemini to Get Instant Video Answers
  10. Oppo Reno 14F 5G Star Wars Edition Will Launch on This Date
  1. Apple Reportedly Preparing Second-Gen HomePod Mini With Faster Chip, Audio Upgrades
  2. Samsung Vision AI Companion Brings Multilingual Support, Smart Features to 2025 TVs
  3. Nothing Phone 3a Lite India Launch Confirmed; Teased to Come in Black and White Colourways
  4. Exclusive: How Much Will the iQOO 15 Cost in India? We Have the Answer
  5. Google's Latest Pixel Drop Brings Remix Feature to Messages, AI Notification Summaries, and More
  6. Planets Could Create Their Own Water While Forming, Expanding Possibilities for Habitable Worlds
  7. Panda Plan OTT Release Date Revealed: What You Need to Know About Jackie Chan's Heartwarming Action Comedy
  8. The Bengal Files OTT Release Date Confirmed: Know When and Where to Watch it Online
  9. The Night Manager Season 2 OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Tom Hiddleston Starrer Series Online?
  10. Kamaro 2 Now Available on OTT: Know Where to Watch This Sequel of Kamarottu Checkpost
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.