Lilium
Lilium was a Munich-based eVTOL aircraft developer that designed the all-electric Lilium Jet using ducted electric vectored thrust for regional air mobility operators, pursuing FAA and EASA certification until insolvency in February 2025 and sale of its patents to Archer Aviation in October 2025.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersGauting, Germany
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lilium does
Lilium was an electrically powered aircraft developer founded in 2015 in Munich, Germany, that designed and pursued certification of the Lilium Jet, a five-seat all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet for regional air mobility. The aircraft was differentiated by a proprietary Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) architecture using 30+ electric jet engines, ten independently functioning high-voltage battery packs with silicon-dominant anodes, and a 900V electrical power system, targeting zero operating emissions, a low noise profile, and an initial operating range of approximately 110 miles. Lilium pursued dual FAA and EASA certification, becoming the first company to receive EASA Design Organization Approval under SC-VTOL rules in November 2023.
Lilium generated revenue through direct aircraft sales to operators (airlines, private jet companies, and executive eVTOL operators) combined with the Lilium POWER-ON aftermarket services organization (training, maintenance, battery management, digital fleet health) and CCS-standard charging infrastructure sales. Distribution relied on enterprise field sales to launch customers and channel partners, with an order pipeline of 108 firm orders and reservations, 82 options, and roughly 600 aircraft under MOU at peak. The company complemented its aircraft with a deep supplier and infrastructure ecosystem including Honeywell, Garmin, CustomCells, Aciturri, Toray, Palantir, GE Aerospace, Star Charge, Lufthansa Aviation Training, FlightSafety, Atlantic Aviation, Ferrovial, Groupe ADP, and Skyports.
The company listed on NASDAQ via a de-SPAC merger in 2021 under ticker LILM after raising more than $1 billion in cumulative funding. Despite achieving key technical and certification milestones, Lilium ran out of runway in October 2024 when the German government declined a KfW loan guarantee, prompting self-administration insolvency proceedings for its German subsidiaries, NASDAQ trading suspension in November 2024, and ultimately the collapse of a €210 million Mobile Uplift Corporation rescue deal in early 2025. The company ceased operations and filed for final insolvency in February 2025, and its approximately 300-patent portfolio was acquired by Archer Aviation for €18 million in October 2025.
Lilium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lilium
- Legal name
- Lilium N.V.
- Website
- https://lilium.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Lilium was a Munich-based eVTOL aircraft developer that designed the all-electric Lilium Jet using ducted electric vectored thrust for regional air mobility operators, pursuing FAA and EASA certification until insolvency in February 2025 and sale of its patents to Archer Aviation in October 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lilium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing (Fixed-Wing) (IMABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Business & General Aviation Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAC)
Keywords
Where Lilium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gauting
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Lilium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Aircraft Sales: Lilium manufactures and sells the Lilium Jet to various operators including private jet companies, airlines, and executive eVTOL operators. Revenue is generated from initial aircraft sales with pre-delivery payment structure.
- Aftermarket Services (Lilium POWER-ON): Comprehensive customer service organization offering battery management, maintenance operations, flight operations support, training services, ground service equipment, and digital solutions. Estimated to generate at least $5 billion in recurring revenue by 2035.
- Charging Infrastructure: Sale and deployment of charging stations to vertiport operators using CCS standard chargers with liquid-cooled cables for fast charging.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Lilium Jet aircraft - direct sales to operators |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Lilium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lilium designed, manufactured, and sold the Lilium Jet, a 5-seat all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft for regional air mobility, alongside Lilium POWER-ON aftermarket services covering training, maintenance, battery management, flight operations support, ground equipment, and digital health management. Aircraft were sold directly to airlines, private jet companies, and executive eVTOL operators globally.
Product overview
Lilium's product portfolio centers on the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft engineered for sustainable regional air mobility. The company complements its aircraft with Lilium POWER-ON, a comprehensive aftermarket services organization providing operators with training, maintenance, battery management, flight operations support, and digital health management solutions. Lilium also offers charging infrastructure compatibility through CCS standard adoption and provides digital platforms like Fleet Optimizer for fleet-wide data analytics and safety monitoring.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lilium Jet The Lilium Jet is an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet designed for high-speed regional air mobility. It features Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) architecture, zero operating emissions, vertical take-off and landing capability, and a low noise profile. The 5-seater aircraft targets regional routes with an initial operating range of approximately 110 miles, with ten independently functioning battery packs designed to meet stringent EASA aircraft safety requirements.
- Lilium POWER-ON Lilium POWER-ON is the eVTOL industry's first comprehensive aftermarket services organization for operators, offering training services, maintenance operations, material and battery management, flight operations support, ground service equipment, and digital solutions including aircraft health management via GE Aerospace and Palantir partnerships. Estimated services market of at least $5 billion by 2035.
Quantifiable outcome
- First eVTOL company to receive EASA Design Organization Approval under SC-VTOL rules (2023)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lilium
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Lilium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
Lilium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- The Ambitious Group (AAMG)coreExecutive eVTOL operator binding sales agreement for 8 Lilium Jets with option for 6 more; planning operations out of Marbella, Amsterdam, and Caribbean region.
- GE AerospacecorePartnership to deliver eVTOL flight safety through combining flight data and analytics platforms. GE's Event Measurement System (EMS) deployed to all Lilium Jet operators, starting with Lilium's flight test campaign.
- Galaxy FBOcoreInfrastructure partnership to ensure accessibility for Lilium Jet at Houston-area facilities including Houston Hobby Airport, Conroe North Houston Regional Airport, and The Woodlands Heliport.
- SEA Milan Airports and SkyportscoreMOU to launch Regional Air Mobility network in Northern Italy, targeting operations by 2027. Joint venture company established for vertiport development.
- Saudia GroupflagshipIndustry-leading sales agreement for purchase of up to 100 eVTOL jets, representing the largest single order in the eVTOL industry at the time of announcement.
- UrbanLinkflagshipU.S. airline firm order of 20 Lilium Jets with option for 20 more; first U.S. airline fully committed to integrating eVTOL aircraft into its fleet for South Florida operations.
- Atlantic AviationcoreMOU to electrify existing airport infrastructure across Atlantic's 100+ FBO network across North America to support Lilium Jet operations.
- Schnaithmann MaschinenbaucorePartnership for design and construction of propulsion assembly line, aerostructures assembly, and final assembly line automation and robotics.
- Star ChargecorePartnership to develop best-in-class charging system for eVTOL operations. First order of 120 CCS-compatible chargers with liquid-cooled cables for Lilium's use and customer vertiports.
- Lufthansa Aviation TrainingcorePartnership for pilot and crew training services for Lilium Jet operators.
- FlightSafety InternationalcorePartnership for flight training services for Lilium Jet operators.
- PhilJetscoreMoU for strategic collaboration to establish eVTOL operations in Southeast Asia starting with Philippines; intent to purchase 10 Lilium Jets.
- AJW GroupminorGlobal material services partnership for aircraft spares, maintenance and repair.
- HoneywellcoreCollaboration on avionics and flight control systems for the 7-seater Lilium Jet.
- CustomCellscorePartnership to produce high-performance silicon-anode batteries for the 7-seater Lilium Jet.
- GarmincoreIntegration of Garmin standby flight instruments providing fully redundant flight instrumentation for the Lilium Jet cockpit.
- AciturricoreAirframe manufacturing partnership for Lilium Jet components.
- ToraycoreSupply partnership for advanced materials.
- FerrovialcorePartnership to develop US vertiport network.
- Groupe ADPcorePartnership with leading global airport operator to expand infrastructure network for Lilium Jet.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lilium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Archer Aviation: Archer Aviation is a leading eVTOL aircraft developer pursuing FAA type certification for a piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for urban air mobility. Archer is the most direct competitor to Lilium, serves overlapping markets (airline partnerships with United, etc.), and acquired Lilium's patent portfolio in October 2025 — making it both a technology successor and the most relevant operational comparator.
- Joby Aviation: Joby is a publicly-traded eVTOL aircraft developer targeting commercial air taxi operations with a tilt-rotor electric aircraft. Joby pursues FAA type certification and has airline partnerships (Delta, United) analogous to Lilium's Saudia/Azul/UrbanLink deals, with similar enterprise sales motion to operators and significant pre-revenue capital intensity.
- Vertical Aerospace: Vertical Aerospace is a UK-based eVTOL developer with a vectored thrust aircraft targeting urban air mobility, pursuing concurrent certification in the UK CAA, EASA, and FAA frameworks. The company shares Lilium's enterprise sales model (pre-orders from airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, JAL, Bristow) and dual-certification strategy.
- Eve Air Mobility: Eve Air Mobility is an Embraer-backed eVTOL developer with a lift-and-cruise configuration targeting urban air mobility. Backed by a Tier-1 aerospace OEM (Embraer), Eve shares Lilium's enterprise sales approach and Latin American airline customer base, including a comparable order pipeline from operators.
- Volocopter: Volocopter is a German-based eVTOL developer designing multirotor electric air taxis for urban air mobility, having also faced severe financial difficulties (entered insolvency proceedings in late 2024). Volocopter is directly comparable in its pre-revenue, certification-stage profile and central European operating geography, and shares Lilium's struggles with capital intensity and government support dependencies.
Emerging players
- Beta Technologies: Beta Technologies develops electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) and VTOL aircraft for cargo, medical, and defense applications with a tiltrotor configuration. While distinct in some design choices, Beta competes for similar enterprise operator customers and charging infrastructure partnerships, pursuing both FAA certification and military/commercial sales.
- Wisk Aero: Wisk Aero is a Boeing-backed autonomous eVTOL developer targeting urban air mobility with a self-flying aircraft. Wisk shares Lilium's pursuit of FAA type certification and infrastructure partnerships (vertiports), and competes in the same urban air mobility operator customer segment.
- Overair: Overair is a US-based eVTOL startup developing a tiltrotor aircraft (Butterfly) for urban air mobility, backed by Korean Air. Overair shares Lilium's enterprise sales approach, certification-stage profile, and pursuit of partnerships with airlines and infrastructure operators.
- AutoFlight: AutoFlight is a China-based eVTOL developer with a tiltrotor configuration (Prosperity I) targeting both passenger and cargo regional air mobility. AutoFlight competes in the same global eVTOL market with similar enterprise customers in Asia and Middle East, and pursues comparable EASA-style certification frameworks.
Broad incumbents
- Airbus (CityAirbus / eVTOL programs): Airbus is a global aerospace OEM with active eVTOL development programs (CityAirbus NextGen, Vahana) and serves as a broad incumbent in Lilium's competitive set. Airbus brings deep certification, supply chain, and airline customer relationships — Lilium hired Yves Yemsi from Airbus — and represents both a potential competitor and a logical strategic acquirer profile.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lilium social profiles
Digital presenceLilium compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Lilium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lilium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Lilium subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Lilium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds10 records
Investors19 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lilium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lilium
What does Lilium do?
Lilium designed, manufactured, and sold the Lilium Jet, a 5-seat all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft for regional air mobility, alongside Lilium POWER-ON aftermarket services covering training, maintenance, battery management, flight operations support, ground equipment, and digital health management. Aircraft were sold directly to airlines, private jet companies, and executive eVTOL operators globally.
Is Lilium a public or private company?
Lilium is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently closed.
When was Lilium founded?
Lilium was founded in 2015. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Lilium based?
Lilium is headquartered in Gauting, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Lilium make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Aircraft Sales are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Services (Lilium POWER-ON) and charging Infrastructure.
Who are Lilium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, Vertical Aerospace, Eve Air Mobility and Volocopter. Emerging players are Beta Technologies, Wisk Aero, Overair and AutoFlight. Airbus (CityAirbus / eVTOL programs) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Lilium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lilium.
What industry is Lilium in?
Lilium's product category is Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAAAA, Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing (Fixed-Wing), with a secondary code of IMABAAAC, Business & General Aviation Aircraft Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3721.