Boeing sells Wisk Aero, SkyGrid to Archer Aviation

Boeing is selling three of its electric air taxi companies to Archer Aviation, including Wisk Aero and SkyGrid, and taking a stake in the California-based startup. The deal covers Wisk, which has been quietly testing autonomous six-seat eVTOL prototypes near San Francisco; SkyGrid, building software to track thousands of future flying taxis in urban skies; and another unit working on battery systems. Archer confirmed the takeover on Tuesday, but did not say how much it is paying.

The shift marks Boeing’s retreat from the crowded eVTOL race after spending a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars on autonomous and piloted air taxis. Internal reviews found that Boeing’s own projects were duplicating work already under way at Archer, Aurora Flight Sciences and elsewhere. A senior Boeing executive admitted in March that the company had “too many irons in the air” and needed to focus on core jet programs. Archer, valued at $2.7 billion after going public in 2021, already has a five-year supply deal with United Airlines and a manufacturing plant in Georgia.

Archer will absorb Wisk’s 120 employees and SkyGrid’s 50 staff, adding expertise in autonomy and air-traffic software. The combined team will accelerate Archer’s Midnight air taxi, a five-seat, 100-mile-range tilt-rotor that is aiming for FAA certification in late 2025. Archer also gains Wisk’s 500-plus patents on self-flying electric aircraft, a move that could help it leapfrog competitors like Joby Aviation. Boeing will take a minority stake worth about $100 million, giving it a financial upside if Archer’s stock rises.

If the deal closes in the third quarter, Archer plans to double its workforce to 500 and open a second factory for serial production. Analysts say the merger reduces duplication and gives the combined company a clearer path to the first commercial eVTOL services, which could start in 2026 in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. The move also signals that Boeing is shifting its innovation dollars toward sustainable fuels and next-generation defense drones rather than piloted air taxis.