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As of October 20, 2026, Samson Sky’s announcement in September on an $80 million investment from Dubai’s Matin Group has become a cornerstone for the company’s plan to bring its Switchblade flying car to market. The deal, signed as a Joint Investment Agreement, aims to fund the construction of a 180,000-square-foot production facility and push the vehicle from prototype to commercial reality.
The investment marks a critical turning point for Samson Sky, a US-based company that has been developing the Switchblade for years. The vehicle, which can transition from driving to flying in three minutes at the push of a button, completed its official first flight in November 2023. With this infusion of capital, the company can now scale from small-scale builder-assist production to a dedicated factory.
Samson Sky CEO and founder Sam Bousfield highlighted the speed of the deal. “At the start, Mr. Matin saw the Switchblade’s relevance, and its ability to make a difference in the world, and our two companies quickly advanced to a position of trust,” he said. “We are proud to have such a forward-thinking partner as we roll the Switchblade out to the world.” Bousfield also noted that an additional $20 million is still needed for full production funding, suggesting the company will continue to seek capital from other sources.
Matin Group, a diversified Dubai-based conglomerate with interests in real estate, energy, and technology, is making a calculated entry into the flying car space. CEO Mustafa Matin framed the investment as a bet on long-term societal impact. “The future is not built by those who wait for certainty—it is built by those who recognize possibility before it becomes obvious,” he stated. “We partner with people who have the courage to challenge convention and the discipline to deliver. Samson Sky is one of those rare companies.”
Industry analysts see the move as a validation of the flying car sector’s potential. According to a 2025 report by McKinsey, the urban air mobility market could reach $90 billion by 2030, driven by advances in battery technology and regulatory frameworks. Matin Group’s willingness to commit $80 million—a substantial sum for an experimental category vehicle—signals confidence in Samson Sky’s technical approach and market timing.
Unlike many eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) concepts that require dedicated vertiports, the Switchblade is a roadable aircraft that can take off and land at any airport after driving there. It is a hybrid-electric vehicle, combining a gasoline engine for flight with electric motors for ground use. This design eliminates the battery-range anxiety that plagues pure-electric flying vehicles and allows the Switchblade to carry two people and luggage.
The transformation process is fully automated. The driver simply presses a button, and within three minutes the wings deploy, the tail extends, and the vehicle becomes a fixed-wing airplane. Landing gear retracts for flight. This seamless transition is a key selling point for early adopters who want both daily commuting and weekend cross-country trips without needing a hangar at home.
A significant aspect of the Switchblade’s development pathway is its classification by the Federal Aviation Administration as an experimental category aircraft. This means the FAA does not provide full type certification as it would for factory-built production aircraft. Instead, owners must participate in building at least 51% of the vehicle themselves, as required by FAA regulations for experimental amateur-built aircraft.
Samson Sky has turned this regulatory requirement into a community-building opportunity. All buyers will spend one week at the Samson Builder Assist Center constructing their personal Switchblade. After that, the company completes the remaining assembly and final testing. This model reduces certification hurdles and allows the company to bring a flying car to market faster than traditional fully-certified aircraft.
However, the experimental classification also imposes limitations. Owners cannot use the Switchblade for commercial flight operations (e.g., ride-hailing or cargo delivery) without additional FAA approvals. Samson Sky has not yet indicated any plans to pursue commercial certification. For now, the vehicle is positioned as a personal
