Sunday, October 13, 2024

Wisk secures $450 million to advance certified autonomous electric flight

Wisk, a California-based urban air-mobility company, has secured $450 million in funding from The Boeing Company that will support the development of future pilotless flying taxis. This investment reinforces Wisk’s strong position as a privately-backed AAM leader and highlights the strength of Wisk’s strategic partnership with Boeing and their collaboration on critical technology development.

Paired with previous funding, this investment will further advance the development of Wisk’s 6th generation eVTOL aircraft, a first-ever candidate for certification of an autonomous, all-electric, passenger-carrying aircraft in the U.S. The funding will also support the company as it enters an intensive growth phase over the next year, its preparations for the launch of scale manufacturing, and the company’s Go-to-Market efforts.

Wisk intends to operate one of the industry’s largest fleets of AAM eVTOL aircraft within five years following the certification of its 6th generation aircraft. The scale of this fleet is enabled by the company’s autonomous technology, a competitive differentiator and industry-recognized key to scaling services and maximizing safety. In this timeframe, Wisk anticipates close to 14 million annual flights bringing time savings to over 40 million people across 20 cities – all with zero emissions.

“Wisk is extremely well-positioned to deliver on our long-term strategy and commitment to safe, everyday flight for everyone,” said Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Boeing as not only an investor but a strategic partner, which provides us with access to a breadth of resources, industry-leading expertise, a global reach, extensive certification experience, and more. As we enter this next stage of our growth, this additional funding provides us with capital while allowing us to remain focused on our core business and our number one priority, safety.”

Began in 2010 as Zee Aero, Wisk has achieved a number of aviation and industry firsts, most notably, the first flight of an all-electric, autonomous, eVTOL aircraft designed for passenger use in the U.S.

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