UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

or

For the transition period from                  to             

Commission File No. 001-39704

EVE HOLDING, INC. 

 

(321) 751-5050
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.    Yes  ☐  No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act):    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock outstanding, other than shares held by persons who may be deemed affiliates of the registrant, computed as of June 30, 2023 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), was approximately $286.1 million. 

As of March 8, 2024, there were 269,365,708 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, issued and outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The information required by Part III of this Report, to the extent not set forth herein, is incorporated herein by reference from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2024, which definitive proxy statement shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this Report relates. 

EVE HOLDING, INC.

(FORMERLY EVE UAM, LLC)

References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”) to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” are to Eve Holding, Inc. or the consolidated entity, in certain contexts. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors.

Overview

 

Eve Holding, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is an aerospace company with operations in Melbourne, Florida and Brazil. The Company is a former blank check company incorporated on November 19, 2020, under the name Zanite Acquisition Corp. (“Zanite”) as a Delaware corporation that was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

 

We are a leading developer of next-generation Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) solutions. We are developing a comprehensive UAM solution that includes: the design and production of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (“eVTOLs”); a portfolio of maintenance and support services focused on our and third-party eVTOLs; and a new Urban Air Traffic Management system designed to allow eVTOLs to operate safely and efficiently in dense urban airspace alongside conventional aircraft and drones. We believe we are uniquely positioned to develop, certify and commercialize our UAM solution on a global scale given our aviation heritage, our strategic relationship with Embraer S.A., a Brazilian corporation (“sociedade anonima”) (“ERJ”), our technology and intellectual property portfolio and the experience of our management team and employees, among other factors.

 

Our eVTOL has successfully completed important development steps, including engineering simulations, subscale test flights, wind tunnel tests and full-scale ground tests, which have enhanced the technological capability and maturity of our eVTOL. We currently expect to reach entry-into-service in the latter half of 2026. We have also begun validating simulations of our fleet operations services model in Brazil, working with partners and utilizing conventional helicopters, to better understand the needs of passengers, partners and community stakeholders that will benefit from our mobility services. We have also engaged with aviation organizations in various cities including Melbourne, Australia; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; London, United Kingdom; Chicago, Illinois; and Miami, Florida, to develop and simulate a concept of operation (“CONOPS”) to help inform the development of our Urban Air Traffic Management (“UATM”) solution.

 

We plan to market our eVTOLs globally to operators of UAM services, including fixed-wing and helicopter operators, as well as lessors that purchase and manage aircraft on behalf of operators. In addition, we plan to engage with operators of ridesharing platforms to secure committed hours of operation for our eVTOLs. To date, we have established an initial order pipeline of 2,850 vehicles valued at $8.6 billion from 29 launch customers. Our initial order pipeline is based on non-binding agreements and therefore subject to material change, consistent with common aviation practices. We do not plan to hold eVTOLs on our own balance sheet and instead plan to establish partnerships to offer solutions to operating partners. We expect to offer eVTOL service and support capabilities to UAM fleet operators, and we plan to offer our UATM systems primarily to air navigation service providers, fleet operators and vertiport operators.

 

Business Combination

On December 21, 2021, Zanite entered into a Business Combination Agreement (the “BCA”) with ERJ, Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“EAH”) wholly owned by ERJ, and EVE UAM, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Eve Sub”), a former subsidiary of EAH, that was formed for purposes of conducting the UAM Business (as defined in the BCA).

On May 9, 2022, Zanite, our legal predecessor company and a special purpose acquisition company, consummated the previously announced business combination with Eve UAM, LLC (“Eve”), ERJ and Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Embraer (“EAH”). Pursuant to the business combination, EAH contributed and transferred to Zanite all of the limited liability company interests of Eve held by it in exchange for the issuance to EAH of 220,000,000 shares of common stock of Zanite, and Eve became a wholly owned subsidiary of Zanite. Zanite simultaneously changed its name from “Zanite Acquisition Corp.” to “Eve Holding, Inc.” The business combination was approved by Zanite’s stockholders at a meeting held on May 6, 2022.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the BCA, dated as of December 21, 2021, by and among Eve, ERJ, EAH, and Zanite, the business combination was effected in three steps, as follows:

As of the open of trading on May 10, 2022, our common stock and public warrants began trading on the NYSE under the symbols “EVEX” and “EVEXW,” respectively.

Development of the Urban Air Mobility Market

We believe demand for urban air mobility services is being driven primarily by urbanization, increasing traffic congestion and the development of autonomous mobility technologies. The majority of the world’s population lives in urban settings, and we expect urban populations to continue growing, creating a pressing need for new urban transportation solutions. In addition, traffic congestion imposes a significant cost on society in terms of lost productivity, fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and we believe communities will look to air travel for relief from frustrating and costly traffic jams. Finally, we believe that advances in autonomous technologies in ground vehicles will help to pave the way for autonomous air travel in the future.

Global initiatives to reduce carbon emissions are driving a trend towards electrification in transportation, creating favorable conditions for UAM development. Transportation is a substantial contributing factor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and fuel costs for both automobiles and aircraft have been increasing steadily in recent years. Objectives to reduce carbon emissions and save fuel costs are driving rapid growth in electrified vehicles. In connection with growth in electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales, rapid advancements in battery technologies used in the automotive sector have the potential to open new applications for electrification in the aviation sector, such as eVTOLs.

 

Development of the UAM market is also being fueled by a recognition of a compelling consumer value proposition – namely the ability to reduce transit times with a mobility service that is priced competitively with ground transportation alternatives. According to a consumer assessment study that we conducted in 2020, 89% of the over 14,000 consumers we surveyed indicated they would utilize UAM services frequently (either daily, weekly or monthly). In addition, 83% of the consumers we surveyed indicated they would be willing to pay a price premium of at least 1.5x over a taxi service to save commuting time by using UAM services.

 

UAM services also have the opportunity to address many of the shortcomings of helicopter operations, bringing the benefits of vertical air transportation to mainstream consumers in an affordable, safe and community friendly manner. We currently estimate that our eVTOL design could deliver a 65% savings in direct operating costs compared to conventional helicopters on a piloted basis, and an 85% savings after transitioning to autonomous mode in the future. The operating cost advantage of eVTOLs is expected to translate into affordable ticket prices for general public passengers. In addition, the simplified design and redundant propulsion and electrical systems of eVTOLs are designed to deliver much greater safety levels when compared to helicopters, providing prospective UAM passengers with increased peace of mind. Finally, while helicopters are prohibited from operating near many populated areas due to unacceptable noise generated by their rotors, our eVTOL is being designed with the goal of generating up to a 90% lower noise footprint compared to helicopters, opening the door for vertiports to be conveniently located within urban settings.

 

The aforementioned factors are expected to contribute to the development of a new Urban Air Mobility ecosystem, resulting in a significant, new global market opportunity.

 

UAM Execution Requirements

 

The magnitude of the UAM market opportunity has led to a significant wave of investments from a wide array of industry participants, including aviation incumbents and new, emerging providers. However, industry analysts expect the UAM market will ultimately be led by a more select group of participants, much like the traditional commercial aviation industry. We believe the following factors are essential ingredients to success in the emerging UAM market.

 

Optimal Aircraft Design. There are a number of eVTOL design configurations currently being pursued, each with trade-offs in terms of performance characteristics, reliability, cost efficiency and ease of certification. For example, tilt rotor designs are optimized for speed and range, but introduce complexities that can make the vehicle more challenging to certify and operate reliably. Multi-rotor aircraft are the simplest to certify, but have an extremely reduced payload and range due to their slow speed and battery consumption. Alternatively, the “lift plus cruise” configuration that we have chosen strikes an ideal balance between performance and operating costs, with a simple design that is easy to maintain and straightforward to certify. Given the substantial investment required to develop and validate eVTOL designs, choosing the right vehicle design for the intended mission is a critical decision that would be extremely difficult for UAM providers to alter in the future.

Certification Experience. Before any aircraft can operate commercially, providers must receive vehicle type certification from the relevant aviation regulatory authorities. This certification process is extremely complicated, time consuming and challenging, even for well-established aircraft developers. Having experience with the certification process and relationships with the regulatory agencies is, therefore, a key advantage for any UAM participant. But type certification is just one step in the evolution of any aircraft program. Developers must also obtain production certification that authorizes the manufacture of aircraft under the type certificate. This critical step requires a robust quality control system capable of ensuring that each aircraft produced conforms to the approved design.

 

Solution Breadth. UAM is an entirely new market, so it is not enough for industry participants to simply design and manufacture an eVTOL. Leading providers will also need to offer a comprehensive solution, either alone or with partners, that addresses fleet operations, maintenance and support, air traffic management systems and ground-based landing and charging infrastructure, among other elements.

 

Ability to Scale Globally. UAM is expected to be a global market, with many of the largest markets for UAM services expected to develop outside of North America. For this reason, successful UAM participants will need to have a worldwide presence and extensive capabilities to serve customers and partners wherever they operate.

 

Financial Strength. Given the capital-intensive nature of the UAM industry, successful participants must have access to sufficient investment capital to grow and expand their operations in advance of expected future revenues and profits. In addition, building a healthy order pipeline will be essential for UAM providers to give customers, partners, investors and other stakeholders confidence in their future prospects.

 

Our Business Model

 

We are developing a comprehensive solution that is expected to address each of the major elements required to make UAM services a reality. Key elements of our solution include the following:

eVTOL Production and Design. We are developing an eVTOL that is optimized for the UAM mission. Our eVTOL employs a lift plus cruise design that features eight redundant rotors that provide lift for takeoff, hover and landing, along with a separate forward propulsion system and fixed wing that enables efficient and quiet cruising. Our eVTOL is designed to initially accommodate four passengers and a pilot, with the expected ability to transport up to six passengers without a pilot once autonomous capabilities are introduced. Based on an analysis conducted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, we expect the range of our eVTOL (100 km at entry into service) will enable us to address 99% of UAM missions within cities and metropolitan areas. Our eVTOL is currently in its development phase with an expected entry into service in the latter half of 2026.

 

Service and Operations Solutions. We plan to offer a full suite of eVTOL service and support capabilities, including material services, maintenance, technical support, training, ground handling and data services. Our services will be offered on an agnostic basis – supporting both our eVTOL and those produced by third parties. We expect to leverage the global support network of ERJ to deploy our eVTOL services in an efficient, cost-effective and scalable manner. We recognize that vehicle support services are a vital element to enable UAM services to operate effectively and safely, and that high-quality and responsive support is a key purchasing consideration for our targeted customers.

 

Urban Air Traffic Management. We are developing a next-generation UATM system to enable eVTOLs to operate safely and efficiently in dense urban airspace along with conventional fixed wing and rotary aircraft and unmanned drones. Our UATM software platform is being developed in partnership with Atech-Negócios em Tecnologias S.A., a Brazilian corporation (sociedade anônima) and wholly owned subsidiary of ERJ (“Atech”) – developer of the air traffic control system used in Brazil and other global markets. We expect to offer our UATM solution primarily as a subscription software offering to customers that include air navigation service providers, fleet operators and vertiport operators. We are currently validating our UATM approach through CONOPS collaborations with stakeholders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; London, United Kingdom; Melbourne, Australia; Chicago, Illinois, and Miami, Florida.

We are responsible for designing and delivering each of the three elements of our solutions listed above. However, a portion of these solutions will be developed with ERJ through the Master Service Agreements (“MSA(s)”) and Shared Service Agreement (“SSA”) – (collectively, the “Services Agreements”), which will allow us to deliver our solutions more efficiently and cost-effectively. Through these agreements, ERJ will essentially act as subcontractor to Eve, with Eve remaining ultimately responsible for the Integrated Product Development of the eVTOL. Pursuant to the Services Agreements, we will have access to ERJ’s engineering services, flight test infrastructure, manufacturing resources and established aftermarket network, among other assets, on an as-needed basis at attractive cost-based pricing. In addition, we plan to engage with partners beyond ERJ to assist in delivering our solutions, including our fleet operation services which we plan to design and deliver in collaboration with helicopter and fixed wing operators and ridesharing partners.

As a stand-alone entity, the Company is ultimately responsible for the program management of its planned UAM projects and initiatives, as well as the creation and execution of our business plan.

The Company will also be the face to the customer and, as such, is responsible for all aspects of the business’ sales function, including performing market and user research activities, identifying potential exponential technologies, evaluating consumer insights and analyzing the market forces that impact the UAM ecosystem and its players. Using such insights, the Company is directly responsible for creating a cohesive user experience and ultimately implementing this vision to accelerate the growth of the UAM market and our business.

The Company is also responsible for prospecting and engaging new partners across the eVTOL ecosystem-including infrastructure, energy, platform and assets-as well as identifying business innovation and growth opportunities to generate other products and services ideas that complement our UAM solutions.

Finally, the Company will be the primary point of contact with the applicable airworthiness authorities and will lead the related certification activities. As the holder of the eVTOL Type Certification, the Company will be tasked with maintaining the Type Certification throughout the product life cycle.

To date, our business has not generated any revenue, as we continue to develop our eVTOL vehicles and other UAM solutions. As a result, we will require substantial additional capital to develop products and fund operations for the foreseeable future. Until we can generate any revenue from product sales and services, we expect to finance operations through a combination of existing cash on hand, public offerings, private placements and debt financings. The amount and timing of future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace and results of development efforts.

 

Our Customers and Partners

 

We plan to market our eVTOLs globally to operators of UAM services, including fixed wing and helicopter operators, as well as lessors that purchase and manage aircraft on behalf of operators. In addition, we plan to engage with operators of ridesharing platforms to secure committed hours of operation for our eVTOLs. To date, we have established an initial order pipeline of 2,850 vehicles valued at $8.6 billion from 29 launch customers.⁽¹⁾ Our initial order pipeline is based on non-binding agreements, consistent with common aviation practices. As of December 31, 2023, our disclosed eVTOL launch customer list includes the following:

 

We also recognize that scaling a UAM business requires collaboration from partners spanning the entire ecosystem, including those providing critical technology elements, charging infrastructure, vertiports and financing services. As of December 31, 2023, our partner network includes:

 

Our Competitive Strengths

We believe the following competitive strengths distinguish us from our competitors and position us for leadership in the developing UAM market:

Optimal Vehicle Design for the Intended Mission. We have chosen a practical and efficient lift plus cruise eVTOL design that features eight rotors for lift, along with a separate forward propulsion system and fixed wing for efficient and quiet cruising. We believe our lift plus cruise configuration provides the range and speed required to address 99% of intra-city and intra-metro missions, with a simple design that avoids complex moving parts like tilt rotors. The simplicity of our design is expected to make our vehicle highly reliable, reducing downtime and maintenance costs. We also expect our eVTOL design to create a clear pathway to achieving Type Certification by utilizing existing fixed wing and rotary aircraft certification criteria.

Proven Aircraft Certification Experience. We were formed as a business of ERJ - a recognized leader in the aviation sector with a 50-year track record of success. ERJ has successfully certified over 30 aircraft models during the past 25 years – the most of any aircraft manufacturer. ERJ has proven its ability to certify new aircraft models on time, on spec and under budget. In addition, ERJ has long-standing relationships with global aviation regulatory agencies, with demonstrated success securing “triple certifications” from the Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – “ANAC”), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (“EASA”). We expect to benefit from this history of success, the experience of our team and our strategic partnership with ERJ, which includes support and resources to assist with Type Certification.

Holistic UAM Solution. We have introduced a comprehensive UAM solution that spans three key pillars: eVTOL design and production, eVTOL maintenance and support and UATM systems. Within each of these areas, we believe we have distinct competencies and advantages that uniquely position us for success. By offering a holistic solution, we believe we can accelerate the development of the UAM market, engage UAM stakeholders at a strategic level to help influence the development of the ecosystem and maximize the value we can deliver to our customers and partners. We also believe that our business segments are highly synergistic, so success in one area will fuel growth in other areas.

Strategic Support from ERJ. We believe our relationship with ERJ will allow us to accelerate and de-risk the development of our UAM solution. Through our Services Agreements with ERJ, we will have access to ERJ’s vast resources at specified cost-based rates. We have first-priority access to approximately 5,000 ERJ employees, including 1,600 identified engineers with significant design and aeronautical expertise, with the ability to flex up and flex down resource utilization based on demand. In addition, pursuant to the Services Agreements, we will have a royalty-free license to ERJ’s background intellectual property to be used within the UAM market. We also believe our partnership with ERJ provides us with a significant cost advantage because we can utilize existing resources, such as flight test infrastructure, on an as-needed basis without incurring the cost of a greenfield investment.

Powerful Partner Network. We have built a global partner network that we believe provides us with significant commercial leverage, broad market access, substantial resources and strong validation of our business prospects. Our partner network includes more than two dozen industry leaders spanning fixed wing and rotary operators, ridesharing platform providers, technology specialists, renewable energy providers, ground infrastructure providers and financing partners. Our partner network is also global in scope, providing us with enhanced access to key UAM markets around the world. As we execute our strategic growth plan, we will continue to broaden and deepen our partner ecosystem and operate in an open and collaborative manner.

Significant Revenue Visibility. To date, we have built an order pipeline that consists of 2,850 vehicles valued at $8.6 billion from 29 launch customers based on non-binding agreements. We believe this order pipeline is the largest in the UAM industry in terms of number of vehicles and unique customers. Our order pipeline provides us with a healthy level of revenue visibility, totaling more than our expected aggregate vehicle shipments over our first four years of planned shipments. The strength of our order pipeline gives us confidence in committing the substantial investments required to commercialize our solution and also reflects favorably on the market perception of our UAM solution. We are focused on further expanding our order pipeline through continued engagement with current and prospective customers.

Highly Experienced Management Team and Board. We have assembled a senior leadership team and board of directors with significant levels of experience in the aviation industry. Our CEO, Johann Bordais, led Embraer’s Services & Support business since its foundation in 2016. The rest of our senior leadership team has been handpicked from ERJ to join Eve, after having led more than 30 successful aircraft projects over their careers. The individuals who have joined our Board of Directors include: Luis Carlos Affonso, SVP, Engineering, Technology and Strategy at ERJ; Gerard DeMuro, former Co-CEO of the Company; Michael Amalfitano, CEO of ERJ’s highly successful executive aircraft division; Marion Clifton Blakey, Former CEO of Rolls-Royce North America and Former FAA Administrator; María Cordón, Director of the Strategy & Corporate Development department at Acciona, S.A.; Paul Eremenko, CEO of Universal Hydrogen and Former CTO of Airbus; and Sergio Pedreiro, former Chief Operating Officer of Revlon, Inc. We believe the experience and caliber of our leadership team and Board members is a unique and compelling advantage.

Our Growth Strategy

The following are key pillars of our growth strategy that we believe will enable us to establish a market leading position in the UAM market:

Combine a Startup Mindset with Established Execution Skills. Eve has been established with the goal of providing an ideal combination of the agility and innovation of a technology disrupter with the support and resources of ERJ. As we look to grow and expand our operations, we will seek to leverage this unique culture to attract employees with entrepreneurial styles and arm them with scarce and valuable resources to maximize their effectiveness and impact.

Utilize Hybrid Innovation Approach. Our partnership with ERJ provides us with a vast portfolio of background intellectual property to utilize on a royalty free basis. We will continue to design our solutions by combining the best of these established technologies with our own, proprietary innovations. For example, our eVTOL design leverages proven, fifth generation fly-by-wire systems developed by ERJ, along with a bespoke man-machine interface developed by Eve. This hybrid design approach allows us to accelerate our development roadmaps, leverage proven technologies and focus our engineering resources on the highest value and most differentiated design elements.

Follow Established Development and Certification Practices. As we design and certify our eVTOL, we are leveraging approaches that have been proven by ERJ over the last 50 years. For example, we make extensive use of proof-of-concept vehicles and subscale models to allow us to rapidly iterate and test core building blocks to ensure thoroughly vetted subsystems and avoid costly and time-consuming redesign as the vehicle matures. We are also engaging with ANAC in Brazil as the primary certification authority, with a bilateral agreement with the FAA, as ERJ has done successfully over many years. While the FAA will likely be processing multiple eVTOL applications and vehicle types over the next few years, we expect to benefit from a more singular focus by ANAC.

Leverage Partnerships and Acquisitions. In order to realize the promise of UAM, we believe partnerships will be essential. We plan to leverage our leading partner ecosystem to accelerate our development and commercialization timelines and to create a more complete, end-to-end UAM solution. We also plan to selectively evaluate opportunities for strategic acquisitions to bolster our organic growth strategy, capitalizing on the acquisition experience of our senior leadership team.

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eVTOL Technology Considerations

Our technology platform combines a holistic eVTOL aircraft designed for high performance, low operating costs, zero local emissions, low acoustic footprint and a high level of safety. Our aircraft design choice was informed by the view that complex mechanisms, such as the ones used in tilting rotors or wing, significantly increase the challenge of vehicle certification, in addition to increasing unit and operational costs. Additionally, there is an impact on the safety level of a vehicle by adopting tilting mechanisms due to the increased number of failure conditions that the vehicle may experience. Considering that eVTOLs are expected to primarily conduct short missions in metropolitan areas, these safety disadvantages outweigh any energy-efficiency benefits offered by tilting mechanisms, in our view. Therefore, we believe the lift plus cruise configuration that we selected, along with other design choices that aim to simplify our eVTOL, provides a high level of safety with an optimal balance of performance and operational cost.

The necessary lift for hover flights of our vehicle is generated by eight rotors that are supplied by redundant energy paths from a high-voltage battery. Having this number of independent rotors provides redundancy so the vehicle can be operated safely in the unlikely event a failure renders a rotor inoperative. During horizontal flight, additional safety is provided by the fixed wings, which enable the vehicle to have an extended range after any unlikely pusher failure. These characteristics are essential to achieving the safety level needed to operate as an urban mobility vehicle.

The performance and operating cost of an eVTOL is largely dictated by battery pack performance. It is important to maximize the energy of the battery pack while meeting power demands at a low state of charge and end of life, have a fast charge capability and ensure a long cycle life. Achievement of these objectives is influenced by the choice of cell chemistries to meet the vehicle’s energy and power needs to perform its mission and by defining a battery architecture that satisfies the vehicle’s requirements in both normal and abnormal operation (i.e. in the case of failures of electrical propulsion components). Additionally, it is essential that the choice of configuration addresses a balance of features well suited for the mission to be performed. This balance contributes to the robustness of the vehicle in a range of situations that might be encountered during flight operations, including variations in temperature, winds, atmospheric disturbances (including from building wakes or other aircraft traffic), route changes or the need to change destination due to landing zone unavailability. A vehicle that demands high power during hover, for example, will have lower capability to handle the unexpected need of a longer holding period before landing.

Another key criteria of an eVTOL for urban mobility is the sound emitted by the vehicle in operation. The distributed propulsion utilized in our vehicle enables us to reduce the rotor blade tip speeds when compared to helicopters. The blade tip speed is the most important parameter associated with sound generation, followed by blade loading. The configuration chosen for our vehicle enables a large rotor area, which in turn, contributes to lower noise levels than configurations with smaller rotor areas. This approach, combined with the use of electric motors, which are dramatically quieter than internal combustion engines, makes our vehicle quieter than helicopters, bringing benefits to the communities where it will be operated, in addition to the passengers themselves. Additionally, our eVTOL performs the cruise portion of the mission with the rotors turned off, while generating lift from the fixed wing, which significantly decreases vehicle noise during this phase of the flight. Finally, rotor impulsivity, an important contributor to helicopter noise, will not be present in our eVTOL noise signature, which is another significant benefit.

Our eVTOL, as with all eVTOLs with distributed propulsion, requires complex fly-by-wire flight control systems to provide control and stability in all phases of flight. These systems must be “closed loop”, meaning that the pilot commands a response from the vehicle and the control system employs the control surfaces at the necessary rate and deflection for that vehicle response to be achieved and maintained while the pilot maintains the command. Eve and ERJ are uniquely positioned to build eVTOL fly-by-wire control systems based on the experience gained through the development and certification of several conventional aircraft employing similar systems. In these projects, ERJ has been able to increase passenger comfort as well as vehicle safety and performance through the use of fly-by-wire control systems, a technology that we will also leverage in our eVTOL development.

Finally, our vehicle will begin its operations with a pilot onboard and is expected to evolve to an autonomous vehicle once the maturity level of the technology of both onboard systems and air traffic management systems support autonomous flights. We believe that initiating operations with a pilot onboard increases safety and robustness in an ecosystem that will be under development with respect to the air traffic management and technology employed in the vehicles. As the technology, vehicle and ecosystem evolve, pilot functions are expected to be gradually assumed by the aircraft systems, decreasing pilot workload until the fully autonomous operation of the vehicle can be executed, both safely and effectively.

Research and Development

We are conducting extensive research and development to produce our eVTOL. Today, a significant portion of our team is focused on the development and testing of our concept vehicles and subsystems. These aircraft and test rigs serve as technology development testbeds to evaluate candidate system architectures and components for our certified production aircraft. Additionally, we are performing research and development on battery systems and other electric powertrain components in order to maximize the performance of the aircraft through lab bench and rig tests. We are also investing significant effort in simulations, including with pilots in the loop in our development simulator.

Manufacturing

To support our manufacturing needs, we have entered into a MSA and a SSA with ERJ and a MSA with Atech, pursuant to which Eve will be able to secure, among other things, manufacturing support and software development services from ERJ and its subsidiaries for an initial term of 15 years with ERJ and 10 years with Atech.

We plan to initially develop our proof-of-concept vehicles, testbeds, simulators and other testing tools in one of ERJ’s existing facilities in Brazil in collaboration with local suppliers. The development and manufacturing of our initial flight-test prototypes and, ultimately, the beginning of our aircraft series production is also expected to take place in one of ERJ’s existing facilities.

As our business grows, we plan to transition the serial manufacturing of our aircraft to our own manufacturing modules. The number of modules in operation will be based on anticipated customer demand. The location of our manufacturing modules will be based on economic factors as well as proximity to customer markets.

Intellectual Property

 

Our success depends, in part, upon our ability to protect our core technology and material intellectual property. To establish and protect our proprietary rights, we rely on a combination of intellectual property rights (e.g., patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, including know-how and expertise) and contracts (e.g., license agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with third parties, employee and contractor disclosure and invention assignment agreements, and other similar contractual rights).

 

As of December 31, 2023, we had 38 trademark registrations granted and three trademark applications that are pending, as well as 16 other trademark registrations which are pending in the U.S. and Brazil. Our trademarks are generally renewed at the end of their validity period, which usually runs for ten years from the date of registration.  As of December 31, 2023, considering our utility and design patent portfolios, we had filed 30 patent and industry design applications and had been granted nine patents and ten designs primarily related to eVTOL vehicle technology, such as rotor configurations, cruise rotor control for performance and safety, and a flight control solution.

 

We regularly review our development efforts to assess the existence and patentability of new inventions, and we are prepared to file additional patent applications when we determine it would benefit our business to do so.

Governmental Regulation

We have applied to ANAC, as the primary aviation authority, to certify our aircraft, and plan to subsequently apply to FAA and EASA as validating authorities of the primary certification. The Company may pursue certification in other countries after these three certifications have been obtained, if obtained at all. We will be supported in this process by ERJ, which has vast experience certifying fixed wing aircraft with ANAC, FAA and EASA. Using this experience, together with our strategies to accelerate the development of new products and technologies, we are confident in meeting our proposed certification schedule.

On February 3, 2022, ANAC accepted the Company's eVTOL Type Certificate application establishing the certification basis requirements under the performance-based Brazilian Civil Aviation Regulation (RBAC) no. 23 with other requirements or special conditions added to cover all aspects of the mission profile. In December 2023, ANAC published the Company’s proposed airworthiness criteria for public consultation. The public consultation period closed in February 2024, and the ANAC is now analyzing any feedback received. The Company believes this is an important milestone in the path towards the eVTOL certification that the Company seeks. The Company’s eVTOL certification basis is also being discussed with the FAA (as the validating aviation authority), with the expectation to also have the performance-based requirements from 14 CFR Part 23 (amendment 64) as the validating certification basis. EASA SC-eVTOL is applied as category enhanced for commercial purposes in the European market and the Company is working to have a common certification basis with the main aviation authorities under bilateral and/or multi-lateral agreements. 

All aspects of our eVTOL operations are being developed in alignment with current aerospace and transportation regulations worldwide. We are working closely with ANAC, the FAA and EASA to achieve full compliance of all requirements under the applicable certification basis.

Historically, ERJ has successfully achieved certification with all three of these agencies, with additional certifications achieved in other countries as needed. The Company may pursue certification in other countries after the three main certifications have been obtained.

According to the guidelines defined in FAA’s Order 8110.4C (Type Certification) and ANAC’s instructions, the certification basis proposal for the ANAC and FAA applications for an aircraft’s type certificate shall be made under 14 CFR Part 21.17(a) considering the 14 CFR Part 23 (amendment 64) as applicable airworthiness requirements, including equivalent level of safety (ELoS) and proposed special conditions from 14 CFR Part 27 applicable to vertical take-off and landing characteristics. The Issue Paper G-1 (FAA) for certification basis, designating the applicable airworthiness and environmental regulations (especially regarding noise pollution), that must be met for certification, as stated in 14 CFR Part 21, has not yet been issued and will be proposed in a timely manner according to the definition order of applications for Type Certification process mentioned above.

The limitations of operations will be established as a part of the certification process. We anticipate that such limitations will exclude flights into known icing conditions from the initial operational envelope.

Competition

 

Human Capital

 

As of December 31, 2023, we had 180 full-time employees, 115 of which were members of our engineering workforce. We also note that our direct headcount does not include up to 524 ERJ employees that we have first priority access to under the MSA with ERJ. Our strategy is to maintain a lean and agile direct employee team at Eve, focused on high value engineering, project management and business development functions, supplemented by a larger pool of ERJ employees available to us on a flexible and cost-effective basis pursuant to the MSAs.

 

In Brazil, all our employees are unionized. According to Brazilian labor laws, salary readjustments and other clauses negotiated in collective bargaining agreements extend to all Brazilian employees covered by such clauses. We believe we have good relationships with our employees and have not experienced any interruptions of operations due to labor disagreements with them.

Diversity and Inclusion

We encourage employee engagement with affinity and employee resource groups as well as seminars to discuss gender, age, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQIA+ issues. We are focused on building support across all teams and individuals, ensuring everyone has a voice and treats others with respect.

 

Our Commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance Leadership

 

By developing an efficient, electric aircraft with zero local carbon emissions, a low noise footprint and high levels of safety, we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to tackling the dual challenges of traffic congestion and climate change.

 

We are building a dedicated, diverse and inclusive workforce to achieve this goal while adhering to best practices in risk assessment, mitigation and corporate governance. We plan to report how we oversee and manage Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) factors material to our business, and also evaluate how our ESG objectives align with elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”).

 

Our ESG initiative is organized into three pillars, which, in turn, contain focus areas for our attention and action:

 

• Environmental - Our Environmental pillar is focused on being a good steward of the natural environment through the production and development of innovative designs that reduce resource use and energy consumption, and which have a full life-cycle design approach.

 

• Social - Our Social pillar is focused on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, while underpinning all of our activities with a core focus on health and safety. In addition, we strongly believe in the democratization of urban air mobility, which we plan to promote by developing UAM solutions that are affordable, green and accessible.

 

• Governance - Our Governance pillar focuses on upholding our commitment to ethical business conduct, integrity and corporate responsibility, and integrating strong governance and enterprise risk management oversight across all aspects of our business.

Our Focus on Sustainable Manufacturing and Safety

Our engineering and design standards are intended to ensure that we are operating in an efficient, safe, sustainable and compliant manner, and encourage us to be leaders in pursuing environmentally friendly production practices. Our Sustainability Team works closely with our operating units to track material inputs and outputs, to build strategies for chemical reduction and elimination, and to review the proper handling and disposal of our materials. We are also pursuing a life cycle assessment of our manufacturing processes in order to build a reliable and transparent data set that will allow us to monitor and mitigate our emissions, waste and natural resource consumption over time.

With safety as a core value, we emphasize the need for strict compliance with all safety rules and best practices, including mandatory safety training and reporting procedures through our Human Resources and Safety team. We require all employees to participate in company-wide safety initiatives and education, and we conduct regular safety audits to ensure proper safety policies, programs, procedures, analysis and training are in place.

Available Information

Our website address is www.eveairmobility.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not part of this report. This Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and our proxy statements, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are, or will be, available (free of charge) on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file this material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this Annual Report, including our financial statements and related notes, before making a decision to invest in our securities. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

Summary of Risk Factors

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that represent challenges that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy and the growth of our business. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may harm our business, financial condition and operating results. Such risks include, but are not limited to:

• The market for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has not been established with precision, is still emerging and may not achieve the growth potential we expect, or may grow more slowly than expected.
• There may be reluctance by consumers to adopt this new form of mobility, or unwillingness to pay our projected prices.
• There may be rejection of eVTOL operation in certain localities due to a perceived risk of safety or burden on local communities from eVTOL operations.
• If current airspace regulations are not modified to increase air traffic capacity, our business could be subject to considerable capacity limitations.
• Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) may not be able to provide adequate situational awareness and equitable airspace access to eVTOLs or may not allow industrial scalability.
• The regulatory environment for third-party service and technology providers (which UATM could be labeled as) may not be specific enough to support our UATM solution, or may delay its adoption.
• Our UATM solution may underperform if it has a defect or it is not delivered on the projected timeline.
• We may not be able to launch our eVTOL and related services on the timeline projected.
• We may be unable to secure third parties to provide aerial ridesharing services and to make the necessary changes to, and operate, vertiports using our aircrafts, or otherwise make the services sufficiently convenient to drive customer adoption.
• Our customers’ perception of us and our reputation may be impacted by the broader industry and customers may not differentiate our aircraft and services from our competitors.
• Our prospects and operations may be adversely affected by changes in consumer preferences, discretionary spending and other economic conditions that affect demand for UAM services.
• Neither we nor ERJ have manufactured or delivered any eVTOL aircraft to customers, which makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult and increases the risk of investment.

• Our eVTOL aircraft may not perform at the level we expect, and may have potential defects, such as higher than expected noise profile, lower payload than initially estimated, shorter range, higher unit cost, higher cost of operation, perceived discomfort during transition phase of flight and/or shorter useful lives than we anticipate.
• We may not be able to produce eVTOL aircraft in the volumes and on the timelines projected.
• Crashes, accidents or incidents of eVTOL aircraft or involving UATM solutions, or lithium batteries involving us or our competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
• We currently rely and expect to continue to rely on ERJ to provide services, products, parts and components required to develop and certify our aircraft and to supply critical services, components and systems necessary for our operations, which exposes us to a number of risks and uncertainties outside our control.
• Although we have a defined strategy for the manufacturing of our aircraft following type certification, we are exposed to a number of risks and uncertainties outside our control.
• Our agreements with our customers are non-binding and constitute all of the current orders for our aircraft. If we do not enter into definitive agreements with our customers, or the conditions to our customer’s orders (if any) are not met, or if such orders (if any) are cancelled, modified or delayed, our prospects, results of operations, liquidity and cash flow will be harmed.
• We may be unable to obtain relevant regulatory approvals for the commercialization of our aircraft, including Type Certification, Production Certification, and Operating Certification approvals for permitting new infrastructure or accessing existing infrastructure or otherwise.
• Changes in government regulation imposing additional requirements and restrictions on our operations could increase our operating costs and result in service delays and disruptions.
• If our relations with our strategic partners were to deteriorate or terminate, our business could be adversely affected or these parties may act in a manner adverse to us.
• The failure of certain advances in technology such as autonomy or battery density to mature at the rates we project may impact our ability to increase the volume of our service and/or drive down end-user pricing at the rates we project.
  
• We are an early-stage company with a history of losses, and we expect to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future, and we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability.
  
• We are subject to cybersecurity risks to our operational systems, security systems, infrastructure, integrated software in our aircraft and customer data processed by our third-party vendors.
• Our available capital resources may not be sufficient to meet the requirements of our business plan and we may need to raise additional capital.
  
• Brazilian political and economic conditions have a direct impact on our business, and such conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to our Business and Industry

Market & Service

 

The market for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has not been established with precision, is still emerging and may not achieve the growth potential we expect, or may grow more slowly than expected.

 

The UAM market is still emerging and has not been established with precision. It is uncertain to what extent market acceptance will grow, if at all. We intend to initially launch operations in a limited number of metropolitan areas. The success of these markets and the opportunity for future growth in these markets may not be representative of the potential market for UAM in other metropolitan areas. Our success will depend to a substantial extent on regulatory approval and availability of eVTOL technology, investments and development of the ecosystem infrastructure, community acceptance, as well as the willingness of commuters and travelers to widely adopt air mobility as an alternative for ground transportation. If the public does not perceive UAM as beneficial or chooses not to adopt UAM because of concerns regarding safety, affordability, value proposition or for other reasons, then the market for our offerings may not develop, may develop more slowly than we expect or may not achieve the growth potential we expect. As a result, the number of potential fliers using our eVTOL cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, and we cannot assure that we will be able to operate in a profitable manner in any of our targeted markets. Any of the foregoing could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Growth of our business will require significant investments in the development of the UAM ecosystem, infrastructure, technology and marketing and sales efforts. Our current cash flow has not been sufficient to support these needs. If our business does not generate the level of available cash flow required to support these investments, our results of operations will be negatively affected. Furthermore, our ability to effectively manage growth and expansion of our operations will also require us to enhance our research and development, manufacturing, operational systems, internal controls and infrastructure, human resources policies, and reporting systems. These enhancements will require significant capital expenditures and allocation of valuable management and employee resources.

 

There may be reluctance by consumers to adopt this new form of mobility, or unwillingness to pay our projected prices.

 

Our growth is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of an entirely new form of mobility offered by eVTOL aircraft and the UAM market. If consumers do not adopt this new form of mobility or are not willing to pay the prices shared for aerial ridesharing services, our business may never materialize and our prospects, financial condition and operating results will be harmed. This market is new, rapidly evolving, and characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, new aircraft announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors.

Our success in each market will depend on the local infrastructure and regulations, on our partners’ ability to develop a network of passengers and accurately assess and predict passenger demand and price sensitivity. Demand and price sensitivity may fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including macroeconomic factors, quality of service, negative publicity, safety incidents, corporate reporting related to safety, quality of customer support, perceived political or geopolitical affiliations, or dissatisfaction with our brand, products, and offerings in general. If our commercial partners fail to attract passengers or fail to accurately predict demand and price sensitivity, it will harm our financial performance and our competitors’ products may achieve greater market adoption and may grow at a faster rate than our business.

 

We expect that a large driver of passenger demand for aerial ridesharing services will be time savings when compared with alternative modes of transportation. Should we or our commercial partners be unable to deliver a sufficient level of time savings for our eVTOL passengers or if expected time savings are impacted by delays or cancellations, it could reduce demand for aerial ridesharing services. If we or our commercial partners are unable to generate demand or demand falls, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

There may be rejection of eVTOL operation in certain localities due to a perceived risk of safety or burden on local communities from eVTOL operations.

 

We are developing eVTOL to a level of safety that is higher than that of a light aircraft, a level that is perceived by us and the regulators to be adequate for the safe operation of eVTOLs in urban centers. However, the safety record of the fleet will also depend on factors external to the vehicle and the understanding of which is currently being constructed, such as the integration of eVTOL fleets with other aircraft operating in the same urban airspace. If the prediction of important characteristics of the system, such as route placement, vehicle separation and communication protocols, is not accurate, or if these considerations are not properly taken into account, the safety level of the fleet operation may be negatively affected.

 

The approval of local authorities of the operation of the eVTOLs will be influenced by the public opinion about the burden imposed on that community by the vehicle operations. Local populations, being potential users of the eVTOL service or not, may perceive the external noise of the vehicles, visual pollution and changes in the neighborhood provoked by vertiport operations to be unreasonable with respect to the benefits brought by the vehicles in terms of traffic congestion reduction and decrease in travel times. If that is the case, the demand for the vehicles and its operations may be negatively affected.

 

If current airspace regulations are not modified to increase air traffic capacity, our business could be subject to considerable capacity limitations.

 

A failure to increase air traffic capacity at and in the airspace serving key markets, including around major airports, in the United States or overseas, could create capacity limitations for our future operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Weaknesses in airspace and air traffic control system worldwide, including the National Airspace System and the Air Traffic Control (“ATC”) system, such as outdated procedures and technologies, could result in capacity constraints during peak travel periods or adverse weather conditions in certain markets, resulting in delays and disruptions to our service. While our aircraft is designed to operate in the National Airspace System under existing rules, our business at scale will likely require airspace allocation for UAM operations. Our inability to obtain sufficient access to the National Airspace System could increase our costs and reduce the attractiveness of our service.

 

Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) may not be able to provide adequate situational awareness and equitable airspace access to eVTOLs or may not allow industrial scalability.

 

Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) is a system that will enable UAM scalability and will mature over time to support market requirements. The UATM systems will provide traffic management services to the UAM ecosystem, including to vehicles, fleet operators, vertiports, pilots, fleet managers, network operating centers and air navigation service providers, with the objective of improving the efficiency and safety of UAM operations. The UATM systems are therefore perceived as an enabler to allow the safe scalability of the industry as the quantity of eVTOL operations increases over time.

 

An accident or incident resulting from the low performance of one of the UATM systems or its inability to provide adequate safety levels may negatively affect public perception and the UAM industry as whole.

 

Additionally, if UATM systems do not target appropriate services, it may affect their ability to support increased traffic volume and therefore impact the ability for industrial scalability. This may be the result of collecting the wrong data necessary to support future safety cases required for airspace authorities to approve new regulations and/or the inability to manage traffic equitably for all airspace users, including airspace access for eVTOLs.

 

The regulatory environment for third-party service and technology providers (which UATM could be labeled as) may not be specific enough to support our UATM solution, or may delay its adoption. 

 

Every country is on a different journey with a corresponding timetable towards establishing the regulatory environment that will support third-party technology and service providers to buttress the air traffic management industry. As more varied and unique aircraft, each with unique operating characteristics (for instance, drones as compared to general aviation aircraft), are all vying for access to dense, low altitude airspace, solutions like UATM seek to standardize the way in which such airspace can be safely managed. However, as technology development usually outpaces regulation, it is foreseeable that a certain degree of business risk or regulatory risk is inherent in the investment and deployment of this new technology. Therefore, a lack of necessary regulations to help the industry understand how it may commercialize such third-party offerings, such as UATM, may result in a poor business environment that may make it difficult to achieve the deployment of UATM based on each country’s progress towards regulating similar service providers.

 

Additionally, competing systems or solution providers may use the lack of regulation to their advantage, leading to an unsafe operating environment that would cause we and our UATM solution to consider suspending operations until such time when clarity and an appropriate safety case with the local regulator could be established. This may negatively impact the financial results of our UATM product, its ability to provide a return on its investment, and therefore damage the business model of our UATM solution.

 

Our UATM solution may underperform if it has a defect or it is not delivered on the projected timeline.

 

We are developing our own UATM solution. We currently plan for our UATM systems to include urban aeronautical information management, vertiport information management, flight planning and authorization, traffic flow management, weather management, and collaborative or common situation awareness and any other feature identified during the interaction with stakeholders.

 

The underperformance of the UATM systems could result from improperly defining the system requirements and system architecture. The inability to accurately define the system requirements would result in an undesirable product by the target users and customers, including but not limited to the fleet operators, vertiport operators and air navigation service providers. By not providing the necessary services at the required time, UATM may negatively impact the ability of UAM to scale at the desired pace. Additionally, by not providing the right services, there is a heightened risk that competitors will capture additional market share. Failing to define and implement the right system architecture will make it more difficult for UATM systems to scale and evolve over time with new requirements and to integrate with other systems.

 

There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects in the UATM system prior to its entry into service. Defects could occur as a result of incorrectly identifying the standards that the UATM software must be built towards. By failing to build towards the correct standards, the impacted UATM system will not be allowed to enter into service, resulting in significant re-work to meet the required qualifications, with the project incurring schedule delays, cost overrun or, ultimately, causing eVTOL accidents.

Schedule delays of UATM systems may result in losing near-term market share to the competition. Competing service providers will begin generating hours of in-service experience earlier and become more established and desirable to the market, making it more difficult for us to become an established service provider in the future. Additionally, delays of UATM systems currently under development and systems to be developed in the future may impede the industrial scalability of UAM, impacting the volume of vehicle sales and service and support contracts.

 

We may not be able to launch our eVTOL and related services on the timeline projected.

 

We will need to address significant regulatory, political, operational, logistical, and other challenges in order to launch our eVTOLs. We do not currently have infrastructure in place to operate the service and such infrastructure may not be available or may be occupied on an exclusive basis by competitors. We also have not yet received certifications from the FAA, the ANAC, the EASA or other certifications of our aircraft or other required airspace or operational authority and government approvals, which are essential for aircraft production and operation. In addition, our pre-certification operations may increase the likelihood of discovering issues with our aircraft, which could result in delays to the certification of our aircraft. Any delay in the financing, design, manufacture, testing, certification, and launch of our aircraft could materially damage our brand, business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. Aircraft manufacturers often experience delays in the design, manufacture, testing, certification, and commercial release of new aircraft. These delays may result in additional costs and adverse publicity for our business. If we are not able to overcome these challenges, our business, financial condition and result of operations will be negatively impacted and our ability to grow our business will be harmed.

 

Our competitors may commercialize their technology before we do, either in general or in specific markets.

 

We expect this industry to be increasingly competitive and it is possible that our competitors could get to market before we do, either generally or in specific markets. Even if we are first to market, we may not fully realize the benefits we anticipate, and we may not receive any competitive advantage or may be overcome by other competitors. If new companies or existing aerospace companies launch competing solutions in the markets in which we intend to operate and obtain large scale capital investment, we may face increased competition. Additionally, our competitors may benefit from our efforts in developing a UATM solution, making it easier for them to obtain the permits and authorizations required to manufacture or operate eVTOL aircrafts in the markets in which we intend to launch or in other markets.

 

Many of our current and potential competitors are larger and have substantially greater resources than we have and expect to have in the future. They may also be able to devote greater resources to the development of their current and future technologies or the promotion and sale of their offerings, or offer lower prices. In particular, our competitors may be able to receive airworthiness certificates or production certificates for their aircraft prior to us receiving such certificates. Our current and potential competitors may also establish cooperative or strategic relationships amongst themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources and offerings. Further, it is possible that domestic or foreign companies or governments, some with greater experience in the aerospace industry or greater financial resources than we possess, will seek to provide products or services that compete directly or indirectly with ours in the future.

 

We may be unable to secure third parties to provide aerial ridesharing services and to make the necessary changes to, and operate, vertiports using our aircrafts, or otherwise make the services sufficiently convenient to drive customer adoption.

 

Our business will heavily depend on third-party operators to develop and launch aerial ride sharing services and to make the necessary changes to vertiport infrastructure, including installation of necessary charging equipment, to enable adoption of our eVTOL aircraft. While we expect to be able to develop strategic partnerships with third-party fleet and vertiport operators to provide a comprehensive UAM passenger service, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so effectively, at prices that are favorable to us, or at all. While we do not intend to own or operate vertiports or aerial ride sharing services, our business will rely on such services. Our business and our brand will be affiliated with these third-party ground operators and we may experience harm to our reputation if our third-party ground operators suffer from poor service, negative publicity, accidents, or safety incidents. The foregoing risks could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.