Shanghai-headquartered eVTOL startup AutoFlight has received a $100 million Series A investment from European technology-investor Lukasz Gadowski and his company, Team Global. The capital will be used for international expansion as well as scaling cargo eVTOL production for customers. Gadowski has been appointed to AutoFlight's board of directors.

The basis of the company's eVTOL design is a lift-and-cruise configuration that combines range and safety with the advantages of minimal complexity. With the recent completion of its autonomous four passenger V1500M's maiden flight, the company is moving forward with additional flight tests and plans to go into mass production, and have the vehicle certified to fly, by 2024.

"Gadowski's knowledge and experience will help us to expand our R&D endeavours and grow our operations globally," says AutoFlight founder, chairman and CEO Tian Yu. We are determined to unlock the skies for mass individual transport through the air. Just in the past month, our autonomous passenger eVTOL aircraft, the V1500M, successfully accomplished its maiden flight. We continue to push hard in accelerating our testing and certification work."

"I admire Tian. He is an extraordinary entrepreneur in Asia and the US and has exceptional experience as both a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot, as well as in supply chain management," says Gadowski. "He has a unique way of combining vision, execution and heart. The world doesn't need to build more roads; it needs to preserve resources and nature. Autonomous air mobility is an emerging industry ready to grow, and I am convinced that AutoFlight will be one of its big players."