Archer Aviation has won the competitive bid process to acquire Lilium GmbH’s portfolio of approximately 300 Advanced Air Mobility patent assets for €18 million.
The acquired patent portfolio contains key innovations related to electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) technology, including high-voltage systems, battery management, advanced aircraft design, flight controls, electric engines, propellers, and ducted fans.
This acquisition bolsters Archer’s rapidly growing patent portfolio, which now includes over 1,000 patent assets worldwide, strengthening the company’s position in next-generation electric aviation. The transaction comes amid consolidation within the advanced air mobility sector.
Lilium, founded in 2015, had spent over $1.5 billion developing advanced technologies for eVTOL aircraft before this acquisition.
Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer, said, “Lilium’s pioneering work advanced the frontier of eVTOL design and technology, and we’re excited to bring their cutting-edge technologies into the fold at Archer as we advance our product roadmap.”
Through the purchase, Archer gains key enabling technologies that support its current platforms, including what the company believes is the world’s leading patent portfolio on ducted fan technology.
Archer believes this ducted fan technology could unlock future development opportunities in both the light-sport and regional air mobility sectors, particularly following the Modernization of the Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration in July 2025.
