Archer Aviation Acquires Boeing Units to Expand AI & Defense
Archer Aviation Inc. and Boeing announced the definitive agreement. According to the deal, Archer will acquire three Boeing-owned companies, including Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu, to become much bigger in AI, autonomous aircraft, drones and defense technology.
Archer Aviation Inc. and Boeing announced the definitive agreement. According to the deal, Archer will acquire three Boeing-owned companies, including Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu, to become much bigger in AI, autonomous aircraft, drones and defense technology.
This deal marks a significant move for Archer, as the company is already known for developing electric air taxis as a small aircraft that can take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter but designed to use electric power. These aircraft are called eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing).
Archer wants to manufacture beyond air taxis and wants to build a much larger technology business covering electric aircraft, Autonomous aircraft, AI, Drones, Defense, Air traffic management and Aerospace software. This is the reason why the deal is being described as creating an end-to-end physical AI platform.
Physical AI means the AI that controls or helps operate real-world machines. For example, helping drones, aircraft, robots, or vehicles make decisions and act in the real world.
Archer has developed an AI platform called ZEE, which is Archer's AI foundation model for aerospace and defense. Think of ZEE as the AI brain or foundation that Archer wants to use for different aviation applications. Now the company will combine ZEE with technology from Wisk + SkyGrid + Insitu. This gives Archer access to more technology and experience, including Autonomous flight, Airspace management, Unmanned aircraft, Defense, AI, and Aircraft operations. So the company’s idea is to combine Archer's AI with Boeing's autonomy technology to create a much bigger aerospace AI platform.
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The acquisition will add a defense business generating more than $200 million in annual revenue and operating across 35 countries. This is important for Archer because the company currently has a strong focus on developing electric aircraft, but its business is still growing.
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