German startup behind electric ‘microliner’ lands €14M runway

Headquartered in Munich start up Vaeridion has raised €14 million to develop electric aircraft it hopes will be able to carry passengers on short-haul routes across Europe by 2030.

“The micro-jet will look like a regular airplane and it will take off from the runway, the only difference is that it will be powered by batteries,” Vaeridion co-founder and CEO Ivor van Dartel told TNW. Interview last month. “The experience is essentially the same for operators and passengers.”

Berlin-based climate technology venture capital firm world foundation This Series A round of investment was led by Project A Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, Schwarz Holding, InnovationQuarter and angel investor Andreas Kupke.

“Our new funding will significantly accelerate development work, paving the way for certification-compliant prototype flights in 2027, followed by the first commercial flight in 2030,” said Van Dartel.

Just a month ago, Vaeridion took a big step toward commercial flight when it became the first general aviation manufacturer to sign a Pre-Application Contract (PAC) with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Markus Kochs Kämper, Vaeridion’s head of engineering, calls it “a huge milestone” in the development of microaircraft. “This move allows us to de-risk our core technology and de-risk electric aircraft certification before submitting a type certificate application,” he told TNW at the time.

Van Dartel and Sebastian Seemann, both former Airbus and ZF engineers, co-founded Vaeridion in 2021. Their vision is to build an electric aircraft to replace jets on regional flights.

The company said preliminary tests showed the microjet has a range of about 500 kilometers. According to statistics, by 2022, nearly a third of flights in the EU will be this distance or less european air safety organization.

Vaeridion’s design is similar to existing regional aircraft, which could reduce development and manufacturing costs compared with more experimental electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) models, which typically require complex propulsion systems and Vertical lift capability.

The company has already signed up its first customers: Dutch private jet operator ASL Group, German business airline Aero-Dienst and Danish companies Copenhagen AirTaxi and Copenhagen Helicopter.

Aero-Dienst and Vaeridion are also collaborating to launch an electric aircraft ambulance service for Germany’s ADAC, Europe’s largest automotive association.

Van Dattel said: “Our partnerships and market-focused strategy reflect our commitment not only to decarbonizing Europe’s short-haul flights, but also to setting new standards for sustainable and energy-efficient aviation at competitive prices. .

Vaeridion estimates that traveling on a microliner costs between 150 and 300 euros. The company said the aircraft will initially serve business passengers before expanding to consumer travel.