Google co-founder Page backing two start-ups making flying cars

Google co-founder Larry Page is backing two start-ups that are working on flying cars, including funding one of them with more than USD 100 million so far, Bloomberg said, citing sources.

Zee.Aero, into which Page has poured more than USD 100 million since it started in 2010, conducts test flights of its prototype at an airport hangar in Hollister, California, Bloomberg said.

The start-up has a manufacturing facility on NASA's research center at the edge of Mountain View, the news agency said.

Since last year, Page has also been funding another start-up, Kitty Hawk, that is working on a similar competing model, Bloomberg said.

Kitty Hawk, which employs about a dozen engineers and has its headquarters about half a mile away from Zee.Aero, is working on "something that resembles a giant version of a quadcopter drone", according to Bloomberg.

Page, who is referred to as the guy upstairs ('GUS') by Zee.Aero employees, demanded his involvement in the start-up should stay hidden, Bloomberg said.

Page, Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk could not be reached immediately for a comment.