Archer Aviation Acquires Former eVTOL Rival Wisk Aero From Boeing

Archer Aviation is acquiring former rival Wisk Aero from Boeing, three years after the two electric aircraft companies settled a bitter trade secrets dispute and began working together.

Under the agreement, Boeing will sell Wisk Aero and two other subsidiaries to Archer in exchange for an ownership stake in the California-based electric aircraft company, according to a regulatory filing released Monday.

The transaction also includes SkyGrid, which develops digital airspace and air traffic management software, and drone manufacturer Insitu.

Boeing will receive newly issued Archer shares equal to 19.75% of the shares outstanding immediately before the deal closes. That will leave Boeing with approximately a 16.5% stake in Archer following the transaction.

Former rivals become one company

The acquisition marks a dramatic change in the relationship between Archer and Wisk, which were once locked in a major intellectual property dispute while competing to develop electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, commonly known as eVTOLs.

Wisk sued Archer in April 2021, accusing the company of stealing confidential information and intellectual property. Archer responded with a countersuit seeking $1 billion in damages.

The legal fight continued for about two years before the companies reached an unusual settlement. Instead of simply ending their lawsuits, the agreement created a partnership between the former rivals.

Archer agreed to make Wisk its exclusive provider of autonomous flight technology. Wisk also received an option to purchase up to 13,176,636 shares of Archer common stock for $0.01 per share.

Wisk grew out of Larry Page-backed Kittyhawk

Wisk traces its origins to Kittyhawk, the electric aviation startup led by Sebastian Thrun and backed by Google co-founder Larry Page.

Kittyhawk developed several experimental aircraft, including the single-seat electric Flyer and Heaviside, an autonomous electric aircraft designed for quiet flight and vertical takeoff and landing.

Its Cora program ultimately became the foundation for Wisk. Cora, a two-person autonomous air taxi, was spun out in 2019 into a joint venture with Boeing. The venture was renamed Wisk and focused on developing electric self-flying air taxis.

Boeing continued investing heavily in the company, including another $450 million in 2022. By 2023, Wisk had become a wholly owned Boeing subsidiary.

Archer expands beyond air taxis

Archer was founded in 2018 and went public in 2021 through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. While its original focus centred on electric air taxis, the company has since expanded into defence aviation.

Archer raised $430 million in December 2024 to support its Archer Defence program and followed that with another $300 million from institutional investors including BlackRock and Wellington in 2025.

The company also entered an exclusive partnership with defence technology company Anduril to develop a hybrid gas-and-electric VTOL aircraft for defence applications.

Meanwhile, Archer continues developing Midnight, its all-electric passenger aircraft. Earlier this month, the company completed a piloted round-trip flight between Salinas Municipal Airport and Monterey Regional Airport.

Archer is preparing to begin operations later this year under the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. Bringing Wisk’s autonomous aviation technology, SkyGrid’s airspace software and Insitu’s drone expertise under Archer could significantly broaden the company’s capabilities as it moves toward commercial and defence operations.