Air Taxi Startup Owned by Boeing Acquires Software Company

Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero has acquired Verocel, a 25-year-old software verification and validation (V&V) company.

Verocel technology supports the certification of high-integrity aerospace software, an expected aid to the efforts of advanced air mobility (AAM) company Wisk.

The Wisk Aero vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, which seats four people, has a fixed wingspan of 50 feet and cruises up to 4,000 feet above ground at speeds up to 135 mph.

The plane is self-flying with human oversight, according to the company.

Verocel has members in industry standards committees for high-integrity software including RTCA/Special Committee, EUROCAE working group and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) overarching properties working group.

“High-integrity software development is critical for our mission to certify an autonomous, electric aircraft with V&V being a significant portion of the total software certification effort,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Verocel’s specialized and talented team will bring with them deep experience and rigor, helping to accelerate our autonomous certification project that is already well underway.”

The Verocel toolset provides a baseline for software certification requirements definition, tracking and FAA submittals. 

Related:Air Taxi Company Gets Another $70M from Boeing

Boeing recently announced it was investing $70 million more in Wisk as part of a larger investment to further its innovation efforts in Canada.

The Wisk investment is aimed at its Montreal engineering center, which is developing a self-flying, four-passenger eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi.

The overall investment of $176 million includes advanced landing gear research and the Aerospace Development Center in the New Quebec Espace Aero Innovation Zone.

Wisk Aero is also bringing its self-flying electric aerial vehicles (EAV) to Texas as part of a partnership agreement.

Wisk and the city of Sugar Land agreed jointly to identify a location at the Sugar Land Regional Airport for the development of vertiport infrastructure for Wisk’s autonomous air taxi operations. 

This partnership aims to lay the foundation to establish a larger network across the Greater Houston region.

As part of the deal, Wisk is to provide advice on technical needs for EAV operations, including infrastructure, training, ground operational procedures and plans for potential site expansion.

Sugar Land intends to focus on integrating AAM into its plans and establish operational policies.

Boeing last year invested $450 million in Wisk and later acquired the startup. 

Related:Boeing Self-Flying Taxis Coming to Greater Houston

Boeing, Archer Aviation and Wisk have agreed on future collaboration on autonomous flight.

Wisk last year conducted a demonstration flight of its EAV at the airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, including hovering and wing-borne flight multiple times and included 360-degree turns in place.

Wisk has a partnership with Japan Airlines to provide flying taxis to Japan.

The infrastructure for flying vehicles is being developed globally. For example, Beta Technologies is installing EAV charging stations at airports, including Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and the Raleigh Executive Jetport in North Carolina.

Vertiports to provide for the takeoff, landing and servicing of EAVs are being developed by companies such as Volatus Infrastructure, also located at the airport in Oshkosh.

And showrooms for the general public to see and purchase flying vehicles are being developed by Aeroauto Global with showrooms in Florida and another in development in Austin, Texas.