U.K. Air Taxi Leader Vertical Aerospace Secures $800M Funding Package

Company believes the financing will be enough to get it through certification, targeted for 2028.

Jack Daleo

Monday, April 20, 2026 at 12:52 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Funding will support certification of Vertical’s flagship Valo air taxi, for which routes have been announced in South Florida and New York. [Credit: Vertical Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

UK-based Vertical Aerospace secured up to $800 million in funding, which it believes is sufficient to complete testing and certification of its Valo eVTOL aircraft by 2028.
This funding positions Vertical Aerospace as a legitimate European competitor against leading American eVTOL developers like Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation.
The Valo air taxi is designed to accommodate up to six passengers and offer a best-in-class payload, with the company targeting concurrent UK and EU certification by 2028.
Despite having lower overall liquidity than its American counterparts, Vertical Aerospace maintains a significantly lower cash burn rate, indicating greater financial efficiency.

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American eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi developers such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, and Boeing’s Wisk Aero face a legitimate competitor from across the Atlantic.

U.K. air taxi leader Vertical Aerospace—which last week entered rarefied air by achieving a crucial flight test milestone—said Monday that it finalized a funding package totaling up to $800 million. The company said the money will be enough to complete testing and certification for its flagship Valo aircraft by 2028.