Archer buys former rival Wisk Aero | TechCrunch

Archer Aviation has reached an agreement to acquire its former industry competitor, Wisk Aero, alongside two other corporate subsidiaries, SkyGrid and Insitu, from Boeing.

Under the terms of this newly announced transaction, Boeing will receive an equity position in Archer representing approximately 16.5% of the company's outstanding shares upon completion. This strategic move represents a dramatic evolution in the relationship between these two prominent developers of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The two companies were previously embroiled in a bitter, multi-year intellectual property lawsuit that was resolved via a settlement, turning them into collaborators and positioning Wisk as a key autonomy supplier for Archer's fleet.\n\nThe deal underscores the shifting landscape of the advanced aerial mobility market as early pioneers consolidate. Wisk Aero was initially incubated under the Google-backed Kittyhawk project before transforming into a joint venture with Boeing, which later took full ownership of the business. Meanwhile, Archer has aggressively scaled its operations since listing publicly, broadening its initial passenger air taxi ambitions to capture opportunities in the defense market through substantial funding rounds and tactical partnerships. Archer's current momentum is further demonstrated by recent successful piloted test flights of its proprietary Midnight aircraft, which is preparing for operations under federal developmental flight programs.