Tetra Aviation

Tetra Aviation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a specialized company developing eVTOL aircraft. Its primary focus revolves around the creation of its flagship product, the MK-3, which is a commercially available personal eVTOL. In 2020 , the company emerged as the winner of the international challenge, GoFly, sponsored by Boeing. The competition drew participation from over 820 teams worldwide, and the company was able to acquire technology and know-how on obtaining flight permits through the contest. According to Tetra Aviation, it is also the first Japanese company to obtain a test flight permit for eVTOLs from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and it began its flight testing in 2021 . As of May 2023, the company was also working closely with Japanese and US regulators for certification.

The MK-3 is a one-seater eVTOL that can travel a range of ~100 miles (~160 km) at a cruise speed of 100 mph, with a load of ~200lbs (~90kg). The aircraft is equipped with 16 pairs of electric motors placed in nacelles along a pair of wings. Each nacelle is fitted with small vertical lift propellers, while a pusher propeller at the rear of the fuselage supports cruise flight.

Funding and financials

In its latest funding round in June 2022 , the company secured JPY 450 million yen (~USD 3.3 million) for the development of its Mk-5 eVTOL aircraft.