Boeing Funds Wisk Aero: $450 Million
Leading Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company Wisk has secured $450 million in funding from The Boeing Company. This, combined with previous funding, makes Wisk one of the most well-funded AAM companies in the world and highlights the strength of its partnership with Boeing. This investment will assist in the development of Wisk’s 6th generation eVTOL aircraft, the first candidate for certification of an autonomous, all-electric, passenger-carrying aircraft in the U.S.
Wisk is looking 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 fleet’s size is enabled by the company’s autonomous technology, providing scaling services and maximizing safety. Wisk expects near 14M annual flights in this time period, 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 Wisk CEO Gary Gysin. “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.”
“With this investment, we are reconfirming our belief in Wisk’s business and the importance of their work in pioneering all-electric, AI-driven, autonomous capability for the aerospace industry,” said Boeing Chief Strategy Officer Marc Allen. “Autonomy is the key to unlocking scale across all AAM applications, from passenger to cargo and beyond. That’s why straight-to-autonomy is a core first principle. Boeing and Wisk have been at the forefront of AAM innovation for more than a decade, and will continue to lead in the years ahead.”
Wisk’s extensive experience in autonomous, electric flight, considerable flight test history, the knowledge and insights provided by the development of five generations of aircraft, and the strength of its partnerships, Wisk is set to continue its leadership in the AAM and broader mobility space.
Beginning in 2010 as Zee Aero, with the goal of providing safe, everyday flight for everyone, the company later merged with Kitty Hawk Corporation. After seeing Wisk’s 5th generation aircraft’s commercial potential, the aircraft and team were spun out to form Wisk, with investment from The Boeing Company. Wisk has achieved a number of aviation and industry firsts over the past decade, most notably the first flight of an all-electric, autonomous, eVTOL aircraft designed for passenger use in the U.S.
Prior undisclosed funding rounds were led by The Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation, through a joint venture, positioning Wisk as one of the only AAM companies to be backed by two aviation leaders. Kitty Hawk continues to invest in Wisk and has supported the development of its previous generations of aircraft.
Read more about Advanced Air Mobility (AAM): NASA project, publicly traded companies, and search for public acceptance.
Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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[…] the meantime within the US, early in 2022 Boeing invested $450 million in Wisk Aero, a Silicon Valley firm within the technique of growing a self-flying propeller […]