Cathie Wood's $3.6M Archer Bet Signals New Conviction in eVTOL Air Taxis

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest made targeted trades on December 22. While a Tesla stock sale grabbed headlines, capital moved to new areas. Wood scaled back big winners to fund smaller, speculative bets. This included a significant new stake in Archer Aviation (ACHR).

Wood added 446,848 shares of the eVTOL maker. This purchase was valued at roughly $3.6 million. This move shows strong conviction in the eVTOL air taxi services market. It aligns with her long-running "disruptive innovation playbook."

Archer Aviation: A Key Bet on Urban Air Mobility

Archer Aviation is a leader in the "flying car" space. Its Midnight aircraft certification progress drives investor interest. Visible progress is fueling belief that autonomous technology works. Archer recently flew its piloted Midnight air taxi in public. This showcased the sleek electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It can take off vertically and cruise like a plane.

Certification Progress with the FAA

Archer is nearing commercial launch in the United States. It has secured three key operational certificates from the FAA. These include Part 145 for maintenance and repair. It also holds the crucial FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate. Most recently, Archer received its Part 141 pilot training certificate. This allows the company to build a pilot pipeline. The final hurdle is the Midnight aircraft's Type Certification. Archer received its final airworthiness criteria in May 2025. This puts the company on a path for certification in the coming years.

Global Expansion: The Osaka Air Taxi Deal

Wood's investment follows a major international foothold for Archer. Archer inked a massive deal tied to air taxi services in Osaka, Japan. Its partner is Soracle, a joint venture. Soracle is a partnership between Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation. Soracle was chosen to lead the rollout of Urban Air Mobility in Osaka. Archer's Midnight aircraft will be the core fleet. This makes Archer the only U.S. eVTOL maker in the launch. The agreement helps build regulatory and operational frameworks. Japan is seen as an early adopter of next-generation air travel.

Disrupting Commercial Aviation

The eVTOL sector represents a major shift in commercial air taxi operations. Archer's aircraft can carry a pilot and four passengers. It has a 100-mile range and a top speed of 150 mph. This offers a greener, faster alternative to ground transport. It could alleviate chronic traffic congestion in major cities. Archer has a robust balance sheet to fund operations. It holds nearly $1.8 billion in cash for certification and early production. Its total order book is valued at over $6 billion. This includes orders from United Airlines and the U.S. Air Force. Cathie Wood is betting on this new era of flight operation news at flying.flights.

• Key Risk: Archer has not yet achieved full Type Certification from the FAA.
• Opportunity: The company has strong financial backing and a massive order backlog.
• Impact: eVTOLs will require new infrastructure and regulatory standards globally.

This investment highlights the growing confidence in the eVTOL industry's future. It suggests that the electric vertical takeoff and landing vision is becoming reality.