Vertical Aerospace, the Bristol-headquartered electric aviation company, has raised $100m (£74m) to sustain the development and commercialisation of Valo, its piloted four-passenger electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The company builds zero-operating-emission electric aircraft and is developing a hybrid-electric variant of Valo designed to offer longer range and greater mission flexibility for the advanced air mobility market. The capital is intended to give the business more financial resilience as it moves through a costly certification programme.
The structure of the raise is unusually layered for a single announcement. Vertical secured $40m (£29.6m) from Mudrick Capital Management, alongside $35m (£25.9m) of equity from a group of existing and new investors. A further $25m (£18.5m) came through the issuance of preferred equity under the company's existing facility with Yorkville Advisors Global.
For a listed developer burning capital ahead of revenue, the mix matters. The Mudrick and syndicate equity brings in committed institutional money, while the Yorkville preferred equity facility gives Vertical a flexible instrument to draw down capital over time. Together they extend the company's runway without relying on a single source.
The proceeds are earmarked against several programme priorities. Vertical plans to open an expanded energy centre to triple its battery production capacity, a bottleneck for any eVTOL manufacturer trying to move from prototype to fleet. The funding will also support the retrofit of the company's third prototype aircraft for hybrid-electric flight testing in the first half of 2027.
The raise follows a run of operational milestones. "Following the momentum generated by our progress over the last six months, including our piloted transition demonstrations at Farnborough, we are focused on converting operational progress and partner engagement into continued advancement of our certification and commercialisation strategy," said Stuart Simpson, chief executive of Vertical Aerospace.
The advanced air mobility sector has swallowed enormous sums with little commercial revenue to show for it, and the gap between flight demonstrations and certified, fare-paying operations remains wide. Vertical's task now is to convert the piloted transition flights it showcased at Farnborough into a certifiable aircraft, while scaling battery output fast enough to matter. The latest $100m buys it time to try.
Original source: UKTN — https://www.uktech.news/mobility/flying-taxi-maker-vertical-aerospaces-secures-74m-20260811
