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Lilium, a pioneering company behind the development of flying taxis, has ceased all operations after laying off over 1000 employees. According to reports from Gründerszene, the German media outlet was the first to break the news that the layoffs occurred just days ago following the company’s inability to secure additional financing necessary for further technological advancement.
In a LinkedIn post, co-founder Patrick Nathen announced that all operations have come to a halt due to the failure to continue work on their shared vision of greener aviation. This marks the end of an era for Lilium, which had been working tirelessly to develop its VTOL electric air taxis since 2017.
The company’s maiden flight took place in 2017, and it successfully completed its first phase of flight tests by 2019. Notably, Lilium was able to demonstrate that its technology could achieve speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour. However, the Lilium Jet prototype unveiled in 2019 aimed to reach an impressive 300 km/h and have a range of 300 kilometers.
Despite financial struggles over the past year, CEO optimism remained high, with reports suggesting he was confident about securing necessary funding as recently as last month. Unfortunately, this optimism proved unfounded.
A small number of employees will remain on board to assist with the liquidation process, while the company’s patent attorney, Fabien Müller, is overseeing the transition of intellectual property assets.
The future of Lilium’s technology and remaining assets remains unclear at this time.
Source: http://www.engadget.com
