What Vertical Aerospace does

Vertical Aerospace is a UK-based, NYSE-listed (ticker EVTL) aerospace manufacturer developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, the company is building the Valo (formerly VX4), a four-passenger plus pilot tiltrotor aircraft powered by eight electric motors, targeting a cruise speed of 150 mph, a range of up to 100 miles, and zero operating emissions. A hybrid-electric variant extends range to 1,000 miles with a 1,100 kg payload. Proprietary battery technology is assembled at the in-house Vertical Energy Centre using Molicel cylindrical cells, and the aircraft integrates Honeywell's Anthem all-digital avionics suite. The company operates from facilities in Bristol (headquarters and VEC), London, Kemble (assembly), and Cotswold Airport (flight testing and the Hybrid Propulsion Evaluation Rig).

The business model is a capital-light B2B OEM: Vertical sells aircraft to airline operators, lessors, and commercial operators rather than operating its own mobility service. A conditional pre-order book of approximately 1,500 aircraft, valued at roughly $6 billion, has been secured from American Airlines, Japan Airlines, AirAsia, GOL, Avolon, Bristow, and Luxaviation/Sigma Air Mobility among others. Certification is being pursued simultaneously with five airworthiness authorities — UK CAA, EASA, ANAC, JCAB, and FAA — with type certification now targeted for 2029 following multiple prior delays. Beyond commercial aviation, use cases under development include defense (UK MoD and Near Earth Autonomy autonomous integration), emergency medical services (Hatch/HTX Singapore), and luxury hospitality (VIC Properties in Portugal).

Vertical Aerospace is pre-revenue and in active development. Operating losses have ranged from approximately $90 million to $130 million annually, with cumulative financing exceeding $1 billion in commitments — most notably an up-to-$850 million facility from Yorkville Advisors agreed in March 2026 and approximately $100 million in additional commitments announced in August 2026. Founder Stephen Fitzpatrick has personally invested $50 million (January 2024), and the UK government has provided approximately £48 million in cumulative grants including a £10 million anchor commitment for Vertical's first full-scale production facility, expected to create 700 direct jobs by 2030.

Name

Vertical Aerospace

Legal name

Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd.

Website

https://vertical-aerospace.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Vertical Aerospace is a UK-based, NYSE-listed (EVTL) aerospace manufacturer developing the Valo electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for commercial airlines, defense, and emergency services, operating a capital-light OEM model with approximately 1,500 conditional pre-orders valued at $6 billion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft (3721)

akta.pro primary industry

Tiltrotor & Compound Rotorcraft Manufacturing (IMABABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Taxi & Urban Air Mobility (eVTOL) Operators (TLAFAAAD), Electric & Hybrid-Electric Propulsion (eVTOL/Regional) (IMABADAH)

Keywords

• Electric vertical takeoff aircraft
• EVTOL aircraft manufacturing
• Urban air mobility
• Tiltrotor electric propulsion
• Zero-emission aviation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Sales: Revenue generated from selling Valo eVTOL aircraft to airline operators, lessors, and commercial operators globally. Pure-play OEM model with approximately 1,500 pre-orders valued at $6 billion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vertical Aerospace designs, manufactures, and sells the Valo eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, a four-to-six-seat tiltrotor aircraft targeting up to 100 miles range at 150 mph cruise speeds with zero operating emissions. The company operates a capital-light B2B OEM model, selling pre-ordered aircraft to global airline operators, lessors, and commercial aviation customers while pursuing type certification with five airworthiness regulators (UK CAA, EASA, ANAC, JCAB, FAA).

Product overview

Vertical Aerospace offers the Valo, a electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as its primary product, along with a hybrid-electric variant extending range capabilities. The Valo is designed for up to six passengers with cruise speeds of 150mph and range up to 100 miles in its all-electric configuration. The company is developing the VX4 prototype for flight testing and validation, with pre-production aircraft planned following Critical Design Review. The hybrid-electric variant offers extended range up to 1,000 miles for defense and logistics applications. All aircraft are engineered to meet UK CAA/EASA SC-VTOL enhanced category certification standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Valo: The Valo is Vertical Aerospace's electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, designed for up to six people with cruise speeds of 150 mph and a range of up to 100 miles, targeting zero operating emissions and airliner-level safety standards.
• VX4

Products and services

• Valo eVTOL Aircraft
• Valo Hybrid-Electric Variant
• VX4 eVTOL Prototype Aircraft

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero operating emissions per flight
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered terminated, exploratory, strategic, major and core.

• Hanwha AerospaceterminatedTechnology or Integration · 3 August 2026Terminated KRW 454.8 billion ($318-320 million) supply contract for electromechanical actuators and tilting/blade pitch systems for VX4 eVTOL. Companies signed new MoU to explore future collaboration despite contract termination.
• University of BathexploratoryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2026Partner in ECLiPSE programme (£3.4 million) to develop next-generation high-power charging and thermal management technology for electric aircraft.
• InnCat Ltd.exploratoryTechnology or Integration · 24 July 2026Partner in ECLiPSE programme to develop high-power charging and liquid-cooling technologies for electric aviation infrastructure.
• VIC PropertiesexploratoryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2026MoU to explore introducing electric air mobility services at Pinheirinho luxury estate in Comporta, Portugal. Partnership assesses site and infrastructure planning for potential eVTOL operations at Six Senses Comporta resort.
• Project VERTI-GO (SESAR)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2026European research initiative under EU's SESAR Joint Undertaking for integrating eVTOL aircraft into European airspace. Vertical to conduct piloted flight demonstrations between Malaga and Marbella, Spain. Consortium includes 12 organizations.
• Sigma Air Mobility (Luxaviation Group)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 July 2026MoU for intended purchase and operation of Valo eVTOL aircraft. Luxaviation Group brings 50+ years operational experience managing 200+ aircraft globally. Partnership establishes framework for aircraft operations and commercial readiness.
• Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026MoU to establish regulatory and operational foundations for Advanced Air Mobility in Saudi Arabia, including validation of Valo aircraft type certification. Aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 targeting $100 billion aviation investment.
• Cluster2 Airports CompanystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026MoU to explore eVTOL aircraft operations across Saudi Arabia's airport network, working with GACA to prepare infrastructure for electric air mobility.
• Near Earth AutonomycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2026Partnership to integrate autonomous flight technology into Valo aircraft, targeting uncrewed defense missions while developing roadmap for increasingly automated commercial passenger operations. Leverages Near Earth's experience with US military autonomous flight programs including 12,000+ flights.
• Astronics CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 26 June 2026Long-term agreement for low-voltage power distribution system including power conversion and distribution hardware. Hardware already integrated into piloted flight test aircraft; converts high-voltage propulsion power to low-voltage for avionics and flight controls.
• Hyundai WIAcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2026Long-term partnership for development and manufacturing of bespoke landing gear system for Valo eVTOL. UK-based Stirling Dynamics supports as key design partner.
• Volz ServoscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Provided DA 30-HT, DA 30-HT-D, and DA 58-D actuators for VX4 prototype during two-way piloted transition flight in April 2026, supporting tiltrotor eVTOL transition between helicopter and airplane modes.
• Hatch (HTX Singapore)exploratoryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Proof-of-concept grant to develop and test EMS use case for Valo eVTOL in Singapore, evaluating operational feasibility for emergency medical response in remote island areas. Flight testing scheduled H2 2026.
• Honeywell AerospacecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2023Honeywell provides the Anthem digital cockpit and flight control systems for Valo aircraft. All-digital avionics designed for cyber security compliance and UK CAA/EASA SC-VTOL certification, with capability for over-the-air performance upgrades. Honeywell also leads the VERTI-GO EU project for eVTOL airspace integration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Joby Aviation: US-based eVTOL aircraft developer (NYSE: JOBY) targeting commercial passenger service with a tiltrotor electric aircraft, in type certification with the FAA and partnered with Toyota for manufacturing. Most directly comparable to Vertical Aerospace in technology, business model, and development stage.
• Archer Aviation: US-based eVTOL developer (NYSE: ACHR) designing a piloted four-passenger tiltrotor electric aircraft for urban air mobility and defense, with FAA type certification progress and manufacturing support from Stellantis. Direct competitor targeting overlapping airline customers.
• Lilium: Munich-based eVTOL developer designing a ducted-fan electric jet (Lilium Jet) for regional air mobility, also pursuing EASA-type certification. Direct competitor in the European eVTOL market targeting similar airline and operator customers despite a different airframe architecture.
• EHang: Chinese eVTOL manufacturer (Nasdaq: EH) offering autonomous and piloted passenger drones for urban air mobility with CAAC type certification progress in China. Direct global peer for eVTOL aircraft commercialisation, particularly relevant for Vertical's Asia-Pacific (JAL, AirAsia) customer targets.
• Beta Technologies: US-based electric aviation company developing both conventional and eVTOL aircraft plus proprietary charging infrastructure, pursuing FAA type certification with a focus on cargo, medical and defense use cases. Directly comparable for OEM business model and regulatory pathway.
• Volocopter: German eVTOL developer of multi-rotor electric air taxis (VoloCity, VoloRegion), also pursuing EASA-type certification. Direct competitor in the European urban air mobility segment with overlapping use cases in airport shuttle and urban transport.

Emerging players

• Wisk Aero: Boeing-backed autonomous eVTOL developer targeting passenger air-taxi service without a pilot; overlaps with Vertical's autonomous-flight collaboration strategy and competitor in the US eVTOL market.
• Supernal (Hyundai Motor Group): Hyundai Motor Group's eVTOL subsidiary developing electric air taxi service vehicles (SA-1) targeting FAA certification and US launch by 2028. Backed by Hyundai's manufacturing scale and automotive supply chain — comparable capital base and OEM ambitions.
• Eve Air Mobility: Embraer subsidiary (NYSE: EVEX) developing eVTOL aircraft and urban air mobility services with a strong pre-order book of its own, leveraging Embraer's aerospace certification and manufacturing experience. Competes for similar airline and lessor customers (including Avolon).

Broad incumbents

• Airbus: Global aerospace incumbent that is developing multiple eVTOL and urban air mobility programmes (including CityAirbus NextGen) and competing at the regulator engagement level (EASA). Comparable as a competitor in eVTOL airframes but operates across a much broader commercial-aviation portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VerticalAero
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMrfQ2oH7u7IVG5z0mFlWXQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vertical-aerospace-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/verticalaerospace
• Facebookfacebook.com/verticalaerospace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds13 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vertical Aerospace