Wisk Aero vs Aleph Alpha

About

Wisk Aero is an autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi company founded as a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation, which was backed by Google co-founder Larry Page. The company is developing the Cora air taxi, a self-flying eVTOL vehicle designed to carry passengers autonomously without requiring an onboard pilot, which would dramatically lower operating costs compared to piloted air taxis. Wisk has flown over 1,700 test flights and is pursuing FAA certification for its autonomous aircraft under the Agency's emerging framework for novel air mobility vehicles. The company operates in New Zealand where it has conducted extensive public flight testing in partnership with the government. Wisk raised hundreds of millions in investment from Boeing and has the backing to pursue the lengthy FAA certification process required for commercial autonomous aviation operations. The company's autonomous-first approach means it is targeting a different regulatory pathway and potentially different timeline than piloted eVTOL competitors like Joby Aviation and Archer.