Urban air mobility infrastructure specialist eVertiSky has acquired Volatus Infrastructure & Energy Solutions (VI&E), a Wisconsin-based company that since 2021 has been developing vertiports and charging stations for eVTOL aircraft.
Chicago-based eVertiSky will integrate its software-defined airspace platform with VI&E’s universal charging stations and modular vertiport architecture to offer a comprehensive suite of infrastructure solutions for urban air mobility (UAM) operations in densely populated areas.
Under the new name “Volatus Powered by eSkyBridge,” the combined entity will develop urban vertiports where eVTOL aircraft can take off and land. Charging stations at the vertiports will support aircraft and ground vehicles alike.
Although eVertiSky would not disclose the terms of the VI&E acquisition, it said the combined valuation of the two companies post-merge is $262 million.
“Integrating Volatus into our eSkyBridge UAM platform is a strategic milestone,” said eVertiSky CEO Sandra Formenton. “Their dual-use charging technology complements our existing solutions, allowing us to offer a more robust platform to our clients. This acquisition expands our offerings and reinforces our commitment to leading the UAM industry with sustainable infrastructure solutions.”
The acquisition, announced on September 3, comes less than one year after Volatus and eVertiSky signed a strategic collaboration agreement covering various UAM projects, including the Chicago UAM Living Labs initiative, which aims to provide real-world testing grounds for UAM operations in Chicago and establish the city’s first vertiport.
In collaboration with NASA, eVertiSky is developing standards for urban air traffic management, specifically for the capture and distribution of real-time traffic data. Its eSkyBridge City API software directly integrates with NASA’s UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system, a research platform that the agency has been using to safely integrate beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone operations into the national airspace.