US-based AAM developer Wisk has secured $450 million in funding from The Boeing Company. This investment will further advance the development of Wisk's sixth generation eVTOL aircraft through to certification as an autonomous, all-electric, passenger-carrying aircraft. The funding will 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.

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

“Wisk is extremely well-positioned to deliver on our long term strategy and commitment to safe, everyday flight for everyone," says 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.”

Boeing chief strategy officer Marc Allen adds: "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. 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 began in 2010 as Zee Aero and later merged with Kitty Hawk Corporation. Upon recognising the commercial potential of Wisk's fifth generation aircraft, the aircraft and team were spun out to form Wisk, with an investment from The Boeing Company.

Previous undisclosed funding rounds were led by The Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation through a joint venture. Kitty Hawk remains an investor and has supported the development of Wisk's previous generations of aircraft.