Gasgoo Munich- VOLANT has recently closed a Series C funding round exceeding $300 million. The round was led by STONE. This marks the largest single financing round in China's high-airworthiness commercial passenger eVTOL sector.
With the closing of this round, VOLANT has welcomed new shareholders including STONE, Sequoia China, and Fortera Capital, diversifying its ownership structure to create a more international and robust support system. Notably, STONE marks VOLANT's first investor from the Middle East, a move with significant strategic implications for the company's expansion in the region and global markets.
Image Source: VOLANT
VOLANT is currently in a critical phase of developing and certifying its VE25-100 model. Proceeds from this round will accelerate manufacturing for the development and initial delivery batches, as well as engineering and certification flight testing. The capital will also help establish mass production, delivery, and customer service capabilities, providing the structural support needed to transition the VE25-100 from development to commercial operation.
Furthermore, the funding will accelerate VOLANT's exploration and reserves of key next-generation and cutting-edge technologies for future models.
As VOLANT's first compound-wing aircraft, the VE25-100 "Tianxing" was designed with a market-first approach, targeting commercial passenger service and covering the full spectrum of low-altitude economy scenarios. It features a spacious cabin, flexible layout, and high payload capacity, alongside safety standards comparable to commercial airliners. These features enable high dispatch rates and all-weather operation across diverse conditions.
Estimates suggest the aircraft's operating cost per seat per kilometer is just one-eighth to one-tenth that of similar helicopters, giving it strong commercial viability. It has already secured confirmed orders from leading domestic airlines and leasing companies, including China Southern General Aviation, Asia General Aviation, and ABC Financial Leasing.
Prior to this round, the VE25-100 "Tianxing" completed its full-scale maiden flight, transition flight, and first flight with passengers. It has secured over 1,900 orders of intent totaling nearly 48 billion yuan. This makes VOLANT the first leading commercial passenger eVTOL enterprise in China to obtain commercial confirmed orders and the first to have its Type Certificate application accepted by the East China Regional Administration of the CAAC.
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