Volocopter

Volocopter is a German aviation company that designs and produces eVTOL aircraft for passengers and cargo, as well as the physical and digital infrastructure that completes the eVTOL ecosystem. Its lineup of eVTOL aircraft consists of the VoloCity passenger electric air taxi, VoloRegion long-range passenger aircraft, and VoloDrone heavy-lift cargo drone. Volocopter was the first eVTOL company to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The company had plans to launch commercial services in Paris by summer 2024 and has been working closely with the EASA to certify its aircraft. In addition, it has collaborated with local partners to define routes, conduct test flights, raise public awareness, and gain more supporters to advance air travel in the lower airspace.

The company’s first launch product, VoloCity air taxi, is an all-electric aircraft featuring two seats and 18 rotors that can travel up to 35 km at a maximum airspeed of 110 km/h. The initial flights of the VoloCity air taxi were to be manned by a pilot and one passenger, with the goal of eventually transitioning to a fully autonomous service for two passengers. Its VoloRegion aircraft (known as VoloConnect prior to October 2022) developed by the company is a fixed-wing passenger aircraft with longer-range capabilities. It is equipped with two propulsion fans and six electric motors and rotors. The aircraft's design allows it to carry up to four passengers and travel up to 100 km at a maximum airspeed of 250 km/h and a cruise speed of 180 km/h. The VoloDrone is an uncrewed, fully electric heavy-lift drone offering heavy-lift services to carry payload of up to 200 kg for a range of up to 40 kilometers. The aircraft can be tailored to numerous purposes such as logistics, public services, infrastructure, and shore to ship. VoloPort are Vertiports used as boarding and disembarking points for vertically taking off and landing, which would also be used by other UAM aircraft that share the lower airspace. Its design requires minimal infrastructure, and it is cost-efficient, modular, and flexible. It can be adapted for use on the ground, at sea, or on a raised platform. The Company’s VoloIQ service is a cloud-based platform that would manage everything from VoloCity air taxis to the company’s urban integration efforts and the passenger app. The VoloIQ software can monitor weather as well as monitor and predict the need for maintenance on VoloCitys.

Key customers and partnerships

In December 2021 , Volocopter signed a joint venture with NEOM to design, implement, and operate the world’s first bespoke public vertical mobility system in NEOM. In May 2022 , the company announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft to create an aerospace cloud system within Microsoft Azure, aimed at addressing the emerging cloud computing needs of eVTOLs, UAM, and autonomous aviation. In June 2023 , Volocopter collaborated with ADAC Luftrettung to develop next-generation eVTOL for emergency medical services.

The company has also partnered with several corporations to expand its geographic reach such as Sumitomo Corporation (a key strategic partner for entry into service in the Japanese market starting in 2025), Geely (to bring UAM to China), Atlantia, Aeroporti di Roma (to bring electric air taxis to Italy), Japan Airlines (conduct public test flights in2023), Urban Movement Labs (explore the application of Volocopter’s UAM solutions in the Los Angeles area), and Malaysia Airports (to conduct a feasibility study for vertiport deployment in Malaysia).

Funding and financials

In its latest funding round in November 2022 , Volocopter raised an additional USD 182  million in the second signing of its Series E funding round. The company’s diverse investor base includes NEOM, GLy Capital Management of Hong Kong, and Sumitomo Corporation. This followed the initial signing of its Series E funding round in March 2022 , which was led by South Korean investor WP Investment, at a pre-money valuation of USD 1.7 billion. Funds were to be used for aircraft certification and launching the first commercial routes.