About us

Here's the truth about bringing new technology to aviation: the regulations weren't written for what you're building. EASA and FAA standards are robust and safety-focused, but they're designed around known technologies and established compliance methods. When you're working with machine learning, novel UAS architectures, or cutting-edge avionics, there's no roadmap. There's no checkbox to tick.

Brilliant engineers speaking a language regulators don't understand. Projects that should fly getting stuck on the ground, not because they're unsafe, but because no one can agree on how to prove they're safe.

Months turn into years. Budgets balloon. Frustration builds. And somewhere in the middle, genuinely transformative technology sits gathering dust because the certification path feels like a maze with no exit.

Flying where the rulebook ends

What we do

At Cobalt Crow, we create certification pathways where none exist.

We're translators, strategists, and guides. We speak fluent engineer and fluent regulator. We take the ML algorithms, the autonomous systems, the novel architectures and translate them into the language of safety cases and certification plans that authorities can understand and approve.

When there's no standard compliance method, we build one, drawing from adjacent regulations, adapting proven approaches, and crafting arguments that are both innovative and rigorous.

Who's behind Cobalt Crow

I'm Hugo Silva, and I founded Cobalt Crow because I got tired of watching good ideas die in regulatory purgatory.

My background is in avionic systems engineering, certification across multiple airworthiness standards, for aircraft and organizations, and I'm an approved Compliance Verification Engineer for avionics. I've worked on everything from traditional aircraft systems to SORA approvals for UAS to certifying ML-driven technologies that regulators had never encountered before.

What I learned through all of it: the biggest barrier to innovation in aviation isn't technical—it's certification. Most engineers shouldn't have to become regulatory experts to get their innovations approved. That's a waste of talent and time.

I bring a down-to-earth, transparent communication style to an industry buried in jargon. I'll probably make a pop culture reference or two along the way (fair warning). But I won't overcomplicate things. Your project deserves a straight path to approval, and I'm here to build it.

@Fly AI Forum 2025 at Eurocontrol

Our Core Values

Uphold Safety with Integrity

We are ethically bound to making aviation safer and more secure. Every decision is guided by the highest standards of professional integrity and responsibility for human lives.

Innovate with Purpose

Communicate with Clarity

Design for Humanity

Pioneer Sustainable Futures

We thrive at the frontier of aviation technology, creating practical certification pathways for novel systems that are groundbreaking, robust, and responsible.

We create sustainable, long-term solutions that ensure the viability of our clients' innovations and contribute positively to the future of aviation.

Reflecting the core of Human Factors, we build systems for people. Our culture is built on mutual respect, collaboration over competition and welcoming all people.

We demystify the complex, translating intricate regulatory and technical jargon into clear, understandable terms that empower all stakeholders.

Let's Talk

If you're building something innovative and wondering how you'll get it certified, let's have a conversation. No sales pitch—just a genuine discussion about your project and whether we're the right partner.

The future of aviation belongs in the sky, not stuck on the ground.