AeroMobil, the leading flying car designer, yesterday announced that InfraPartners Management (IPM), a global fund management and advisory firm, agreed to a second investment round in AeroMobil under its IPM Growth Division. The funds support the next stage in the development of the flying car and IPM is leading an investment roadshow in Asia to capitalize on growing investor interest in the region. IPM, with its strategic partners and strong investor base in China and Korea, will help AeroMobil attract investors, who recognise the potential of multi-modal personal air transport at a time of significant expansion in aero-infrastructure across Asia.
IPM is a global multi-strategy fund management and advisory firm headquartered in London and Bratislava with a regional presence in China, Korea, Guernsey and Turkey investing in the infrastructure, technology and commodities sectors. The combination of this expertise and its global presence make IPM an attractive investment partner for AeroMobil. The financial support of IPM and its clients will enable the company to focus on finalising the production of the vehicle including its testing and certification, while its global reach enables it to identify suitable investors.
“We are delighted to have received not just this significant investment, but further validation from a prominent fund and advisory company,” said Juraj Vaculik, CEO and Co-Founder, AeroMobil. “Now that we have launched the next generation of the AeroMobil flying car we are 100% focused on getting the vehicle ready for testing this year and delivery to our first customers by 2020. We are confident the engineering and technology approach we have taken will ensure this vehicle will meet growing demand for personal air transport.”
“Aeromobil is one of Slovakia’s greatest success stories and one of its most recognized brands shaping the future of mobility. We are happy to support AeroMobil, as IPM Growth aims to become one of the leading go-to-scale-up investment platforms for investors interested in Central and Eastern Europe technology companies with global ambitions,” said Marian Bocek, Managing Partner, IPM. “We have looked at the competing strategies under development and it is clear that AeroMobil is much further along in its plans. We will continue to support AeroMobil in the fastest growing markets, especially in Asia.”
Adrian Vycital, Managing partner at IPM added: “We were convinced the company’s leadership team is very focused on delivering a real solution to the problems of over-congestion and struggling infrastructure based on a sound grasp of the engineering and regulatory requirements for flying cars.”
At a time of mass urbanization and growing congestion on transport networks around the world, AeroMobil believes there is a huge opportunity to address these challenges with next generation personal air transport. For example, in Asia markets such as China are undertaking significant investment in airport infrastructure creating opportunities for transport innovation.
AeroMobil’s goal is to build a flying car that is ready for customers to use without requiring significant re-working of existing infrastructure and regulatory environments. Having undertaken detailed analysis of the technical, safety and regulatory framework AeroMobil believes that at this time vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles will necessitate completely new rules in busy urban environments. In the future technology, infrastructure and regulatory changes may make this approach possible, but AeroMobil has built a model to enable customers to use local airfields and airports close to their destinations, before travelling “the last mile” by road. Furthermore, while electric vehicles will no doubt have a place in the sector in the future AeroMobil has chosen a fuel-based engine, because it offers greater endurance when battery life is critical to safety.
The IPM investment follows an investment from a leading VC investor, Martin S. Hauge from June of this year.
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