Gasgoo Munich- On May 28, VOLANT successfully executed the first manned transition flight of its VE25-100 passenger eVTOL in Zigong, Sichuan. The milestone makes it the first Chinese eVTOL developer to achieve this feat.
Image Source: VOLANT
This successful manned transition flight marks a major engineering breakthrough for the VE25-100 program and signals a significant step forward in China’s core eVTOL flight technology. The maneuver validated the maturity and reliability of the aircraft's flight control, propulsion, and aerodynamic systems, positioning the project's development pace among the global leaders.
Building on this achievement, the team will accelerate subsequent test flights, airworthiness certification, and product iterations. The goal is to solidify its technical edge and steadily advance toward commercial operations.
Notably, on May 27, VOLANT closed a C+ funding round worth nearly 1 billion yuan. This marks the company's second major fundraising in under a month, following a $300 million round secured in late April.
The C+ round was led by China Life Sci-Tech Innovation, with participation from Shanghai Minhang Investment, NIO Capital, Cornerstone Capital, and existing shareholder China Internet Investment Fund. Huaxing Capital and Kunlun Capital served as financial advisors, with Kunlun Capital also acting as the company's long-term financial advisor.
VOLANT founder and CEO Dong Ming stated that the proceeds will primarily fund ongoing test flights and airworthiness certification. He added that the company plans to leverage its expanding shareholder base to integrate supply chain resources, aiming to launch compliant commercial operations as soon as possible.
