Archer Aviation Raises $230 Million to Deploy Flying Taxis in 2026: Startup Funding Roundup

Travel Startup Funding This Week

Each week we round up travel startups that have recently received or announced funding. Please email Travel Tech Reporter Justin Dawes at [email protected] if you have funding news.

Archer Aviation has now raised over $1.3 billion and has buy-in from auto manufacturer Stellantis, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and more.

There's a plan for route networks all around California. And the company has billions of dollars worth of contracts from aircraft operators that want to purchase the product.

Now, it's a matter of ramping up mass production. If all of that can happen and there is consumer demand, then flying taxis may become a thing before the end of the decade.

Including the latest from Archer, four travel startups announced fundraises in the last week totaling over $414 million.

Archer Aviation, which is developing a flying taxi for urban use, said it has raised $230 million in equity capital in two rounds since July. 

It includes $55 million on July 1 from auto manufacturer Stellantis, as well as $175 million last week from Stellantis and United Airlines. The funds will be used for “working capital and general corporate purposes,” the company said. 

This is in addition to a $400 million manufacturing contract deal that Stellantis has signed to help Archer Aviation ramp production operations, with a target of making 650 aircraft annually. Stellantis will cover manufa