Drones

Skyports raises $23 million in Sequence B

Skyports Raises USD 23M in First Close of Series B Funding Round

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Advanced air mobility leader Skyports has acquired USD 23 million in the first close of its Series B funding round. The funding, raised from a mix of new and existing investors, will allow the company to strengthen its status as a global leader in the advanced air mobility infrastructure and drone operations sectors.

Existing shareholders such as Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Groupe ADP, Solar Ventus, Irelandia and Levitate Capital all contributed to the round, with several significantly increasing their stake.

Previous investors were joined by Japanese conglomerate Kanematsu Corporation, which will take a seat on the Skyports board. Other new investors include global industrial property group Goodman Group, Italian airport platform 2i Aeroporti, backed by Ardian’s Infrastructure Fund and F2i Italian Infrastructure Fund, and US based VC firm GreenPoint. Also joining the board is DHL eCommerce CEO Ken Allen, joining as an independent non-executive director.

The new funding and backing from investors will provide Skyports with the ability to increase the speed of its electric air taxi operations, supplying take-off and landing infrastructure in key launch markets, as well as scale its Drone Services practices in new and existing markets, further developing its active operations in the UK, Europe and Asia.

“This is another great milestone for Skyports as we continue our journey to be the leading vertiport owner and operator in the world,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “The support of our original investors who have deep experience in aviation and infrastructure and the addition of new capital from world class companies with a global footprint enables us to build the air taxi eco-system alongside our best-in-class vehicle partners for initial Operations within a couple of years. Our growing Drone Services business puts us ahead of the curve with technology development, regulation and operational experience whilst reducing carbon emissions by using drones for a broad range of customers.

Read more about Skyports:

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

TWITTER: @spaldingbarker

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