ZombieAerospace/Defense

What Happened to Archer Aviation?

Ticker: ACHRSPAC Year: 2021Merger: 2021

Return

-15.0%

Current Price

$8.5

Peak Price

$14.81

Trust Size

$500M

Summary

Joby rival building electric air taxis. Embroiled in a trade secret lawsuit from Wisk Aero (Boeing-backed). Still pre-revenue with FAA certification years away.

What Happened

Archer Aviation merged with Atlas Crest Financial in September 2021. The company competes with Joby in the eVTOL space and claims its Midnight aircraft can carry 4 passengers 60 miles. But Archer was immediately hit with a trade secret theft lawsuit from Wisk Aero (backed by Boeing), alleging Archer poached engineers and stole designs. The lawsuit settled in 2024. Like Joby, Archer has zero revenue, burns $100M+ quarterly, and has missed its commercial launch timeline. United Airlines invested $1B conditional on certification.

Key People

Adam GoldsteinCEO & Co-founder— Former investment banker turned eVTOL entrepreneur
Brett AdcockCo-founder— Left in 2023 to start other ventures

Timeline

2021-02

SPAC merger announced

2021-04

Wisk Aero files trade secret lawsuit

2021-09

Merger completed

2024-02

Wisk lawsuit settled

2025-01

Still pre-revenue, targeting 2025-2026 launch

Risk Indicators

⚖ïļ Class Action Lawsuit