Participated · Equity · Dec 2022

Lilium is an advanced air mobility firm that has entered insolvency/bankruptcy. Ambitious Air Mobility Group (AAMG) says it has secured €250 million and access to a further €500 million to restart the company. AAMG reported in a press statement that it and its partners have “great interest” in continuing Lilium’s aircraft... (article truncated). The article does not provide details on the financing instruments, operating metrics, past rounds, founding year, or location. No additional financial terms or participating partner names beyond AAMG and unspecified partners are disclosed in the article. Lilium builds electric air taxis and is described in the article as a Munich-based Lufttaxi manufacturer. The company was founded in 2015 by Daniel Wiegand, Sebastian Born, Patrick Nathen and Matthias Meiner. Lilium recently asked for state aid and has been raising outside capital to support operations. Most recently the company raised $150 million. The article reports a new financing agreement under which Yorkville Advisors can invest up to $150 million on call. That agreement is structured as a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (SEPA) available until May 2027. Lilium develops an electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet intended for air taxi services. The company is focused on continued aircraft development and expects its first manned flight in the second half of 2024. After flight testing, Lilium expects to fund manufacturing with payments from companies that have committed to purchasing the product. Several purchasers have publicly announced intent to buy sizable fleets, including Heli‑Eastern's planned purchase of 100 Lilium Jets for China, Saudia's planned purchase of 100 jets, and GlobeAir's plan to use 12 jets. Lilium went public via a SPAC in September 2021 and was told in April it could face delisting if its stock price did not maintain a $1 minimum after falling below that threshold for two months. Financially, Lilium has raised $292 million this year to date (including $100 million in early May) and previously raised $119 million in late 2022 and $240 million in 2020. Lilium is developing the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft intended for regional passenger and goods transport. The company aims to decarbonise air travel with a high-capacity, low-noise, zero-operational-emission jet and has announced planned launch networks in Germany, the US, Brazil, and the UK. Lilium intends to achieve a first manned flight of a type-conforming aircraft in the second half of 2024 and says the current capital raise will cover most of the estimated capital required for that milestone. As of March 31 the company held nearly $157.5M in cash, cash equivalents and other financial assets; its share price had fallen about 87% year-over-year and dipped below $1 on March 1, 2023, but surged after the funding announcement. Founded in 2015 by Daniel Wiegand, Sebastian Born, Matthias Meiner and Patrick Nathen, Lilium employs an 800+ team including around 450 aerospace engineers and senior leadership with experience on major aircraft programs. The company also expects substantial pre-delivery payments (PDPs) to contribute to subsequent capital requirements as it continues development. Lilium is developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet and building an air taxi service. Its core product is a manned electric taxi jet, and the company plans to commence assembly of the type‑conforming aircraft for the final manned flight test campaign. Lilium intends to reach an agreement with EASA on its Means of Compliance and sign customer agreements with pre-delivery payments as part of commercialization. The company said the new funding will be used to continue operations, advance jet development, and strengthen its balance sheet. Lilium previously raised $240 million in 2020 and is publicly listed (NASDAQ: LILM). Commercial interest includes a reported purchase of 100 jets by Saudia and a plan for GlobeAir to use 12 planes in Southern France and Italy. The company recently appointed Klaus Roewe as CEO.

Led · Series B · Dec 2021

PLD Space is developing the MIURA 5, a two-stage, partially reusable rocket designed to deploy small satellites into orbit with higher flexibility and reduced scheduling complexity. The company plans MIURA 5’s first test flight in 2026 and expects the vehicle to support up to 30 missions per year from several spaceports, including the Guiana Space Centre. PLD Space aims to scale its industrial and launch infrastructure to serve a global pipeline of commercial and institutional customers. The MIURA 5 program emphasizes reusability to provide a more sustainable approach to launches. Financially, PLD Space reported securing €210 million in 2026, which includes a €180 million Series C closed in March and a €30 million venture debt loan from the European Investment Bank. The company positions itself among a select group of private firms developing end-to-end launch systems to enable reliable access to space.