A British start-up has secured investment to fund 200 air taxi and drone hubs in 65 cities over the next five years.
Urban-Air Port (UAP) say the funds from Supernal, part of the Hyundai Motor Group, will help deliver so-called vertiports: the infrastructure for landing, recharging and taking off with fare-paying passengers.
The news precedes the April opening of the world’s first fully operational hub for eVTOLs, Air-One, in Coventry City Centre.
UAP’s say the vertiport sites will provide essential infrastructure to help enable mass adoption of eVTOL aircraft – which include cargo drones and air taxis – as public acceptance grows and will transform the way goods and people are transported around urban areas.
UAP commented: “We can’t give an exact investment figure as it is commercially sensitive however the investment is ‘significant’.
“Supernal’s strategic equity investment will give the Company an undisclosed minority equity stake in Urban Air-Port and a seat on the company’s board.”
The world’s first fully operational hub for eVTOLs, Air-One, will open for public visitation in Coventry City Centre in April.
UAP say the demonstration will show how advanced air mobility (AAM) “can help unlock the potential of sustainable mobility and how the industry will work to help reduce congestion, cut air pollution and decarbonise transport.”
The landmark investment is the first time a major eVTOL company has invested in an AAM ground infrastructure developer. Urban-Air Port has also named Adam Slepian, Global Head of Partnerships & Business Development at Supernal, to its board of directors, effective immediately. Matthew Sattler, Head of Infrastructure and Ecosystems Partnerships at Supernal, joins UAP’s board of advisors. The close collaboration between the two companies will ensure knowledge and expertise are shared across two crucial components of the industry.
Supernal is developing its own eVTOL and plans to launch its first commercial flight in 2028. The company’s investment in the start-up will help support the development of UAP’s new “vertiport” models including the CityBox delivery drone hub, and expansion into new markets.
Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port, said: “Cars need roads. Trains need rails. Planes need airports. eVTOLs need Urban-Air Ports. Despite the unparalleled potential of eVTOL aircraft to revolutionise mobility, the importance of the ground infrastructure that enables them is too often overlooked.
"With Supernal’s investment and expertise and connection to Hyundai Motor Group, we can supercharge the rollout of sustainable, intermodal and scalable ground infrastructure that will unleash the future of advanced air mobility globally.”
“We are assembling a group of aligned financial and corporate venture capital investors that will extend our leadership. I look forward to welcoming further investors into UAP.”
Jaiwon Shin, Chief Executive Officer of Supernal and President, Hyundai Motor Group, said: “At Supernal, we are on a mission to transform how people and society move, connect, and live; therefore, it is essential we not only develop electric air vehicles, but also help shape the broader advanced air mobility market from the ground up.
"We are pleased to continue working with Urban-Air Port and support its efforts to create ground infrastructure that works seamlessly with eVTOLs and integrates the advanced air mobility industry with existing modes of transportation.”
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