Toyota, Japan. SkyDrive Inc., a leading eVTOL aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, on Auigust 27 announced the completion of another additional Series C funding round, secured through a third-party allocation of new shares to four organisations. With this latest investment, the company has raised a total of eight billion yen across three additional Series C funding rounds.
Investors in this additional Series C funding included: Inventum Ventures, Osaka Metro Co., Ltd., Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. (Investment following Series A and Series B) and Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
On August 28, SkyDrive Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with Osaka Metro Co., Ltd. (Osaka Metro) to study the feasibility of using eVTOL in the Osaka area after the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, In addition, Osaka Metro invested in SkyDrive.
SkyDrive’s mission is “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution,” and its vision is to create a future where everyone uses eVTOLs for daily transportation in Japan and across the world. SkyDrive was selected to participate in the Advanced Air Mobility “Smart Mobility Expo” Project in 2025.
Osaka Metro operates eight subway lines and one New Tram, which is an automated, driverless tram. Each day, around 2.4 million passengers use the Osaka Metro rapid transit system. The company is also advancing an urban Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept called “e METRO,” which integrates various modes of transport, including subways, buses, and taxis, to make Osaka city more convenient. In February 2024, Osaka Metro was selected as an operator of a vertiport outside the Expo site in Osaka.
SkyDrive and Osaka Metro have discussed vertiport operations both during and after the Expo. As SkyDrive envisions a future where eVTOL becomes a common mode of daily transportation, the two companies recognised a shared vision and identified a strong alignment between their goals.
Under this agreement, SkyDrive and Osaka Metro will explore detailed business plans and operations to determine how they can practically use eVTOL technology.
