Wisk Aero Acquires Verocel to Enhance Safety Software for Autonomous eVTOLs

Wisk Aero, a subsidiary of aerospace giant Boeing, has announced the acquisition of Verocel, a company specializing in software verification and validation that has been serving the aerospace sector for over 25 years. This strategic move is seen as pivotal for Wisk, which is steering towards an autonomous-first approach in the realm of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts. Their forthcoming Generation 6 aircraft, which is scheduled to start airborne tests this year, is designed to be overseen by humans but not manually piloted.

Wisk Aero Acquires Verocel to Enhance Safety Software for Autonomous eVTOLs
Wisk Aero Acquires Verocel to Enhance Safety Software for Autonomous eVTOLs

Wisk Aero, a subsidiary of aerospace giant Boeing, has announced the acquisition of Verocel, a company specializing in software verification and validation that has been serving the aerospace sector for over 25 years. This strategic move is seen as pivotal for Wisk, which is steering towards an autonomous-first approach in the realm of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts. Their forthcoming Generation 6 aircraft, which is scheduled to start airborne tests this year, is designed to be overseen by humans but not manually piloted.

Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk Aero, emphasized the critical nature of their venture, stating, “We have a tremendous amount of high-integrity software all over the airplane and on the ground that needs to be verified. It’s important to ensure high-integrity software runs as it’s supposed to, because any failure can cause serious damage, with possible life-threatening consequences. It needs to be validated, and it’s just a big scope of work.” The integration of the Verocel team, known for their deep expertise in DO-178C standards—a benchmark for developing safety-critical software in airborne systems—is expected to bolster Wisk’s capabilities significantly.

The acquisition entails the assimilation of Verocel's approximately 60-strong team into Wisk. Their expertise will not only aid in achieving DO-178C certification—a critical component of the Federal Aviation Administration’s type certification process which verifies that aircraft meet all safety and design standards—but also enhance future software development endeavors at Boeing.

In addition to the personnel and expertise, Verocel brings to the table VeroTrace, a specialized toolset designed to track and manage the lifecycle of software development and verification efforts, streamlining the process up to regulatory approval. The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

This strategic acquisition mirrors a similar move by Joby Aviation, which acquired aerospace software engineering firm Avionyx in 2022. Both acquisitions reflect a growing trend among eVTOL developers to become more vertically integrated and accelerate the federal certification process by enhancing their in-house software testing and validation capabilities.

Yutko further noted that verifying and validating all of Wisk's software is a crucial step in safely building and operating an autonomous airplane, as the company aims to commercialize its self-flying eVTOLs by 2030.

Wisk is also proactively setting up the necessary infrastructure to support air taxi operations. In February, the company partnered with Sugar Land—a city near Houston—to explore potential sites at the city's regional airport for developing vertiport infrastructure. Additionally, earlier this month, Wisk entered into a memorandum of understanding with Houston Airports to identify suitable locations for vertiport infrastructure that could cater to the broader Houston area.

This acquisition marks a significant step for Wisk Aero as it gears up to play a pivotal role in the future of urban air mobility, integrating cutting-edge technology and software safety to ensure the reliable operation of its autonomous aircrafts.