UK-headquartered vertiport designer, developer and operator Skyports has raised $23 million in the first close of its Series B funding round. The capital, from a combination of new and existing investors, will enable the company to consolidate its position as a global leader in the advanced air mobility infrastructure and drone operations markets.

All existing institutional shareholders participated in the round including Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Groupe ADP, Solar Ventus, Irelandia and Levitate Capital, with a number materially increasing their stake. These investors were joined by Japanese conglomerate Kanematsu Corporation; global industrial property group Goodman Group; Italian airport platform 2i Aeroporti, backed by Ardian's Infrastructure Fund and F2i Italian Infrastructure Fund; and US-based venture capital company GreenPoint.

Kanematsu Corp will take a seat on the Skyports board as will DHL eCommerce CEO Ken Allen, who joins as an independent non-executive director.

The new capital and the sizeable balance sheets of the investors enable Skyports to accelerate its work with the world's leading electric air taxi manufacturers and operators, providing take off and landing infrastructure in key launch markets. Skyports will also materially scale its drone operations in new and existing markets, building on active operations in the UK, Europe and Asia.

CEO Duncan Walker says: “This is another great milestone for Skyports as we continue our journey to be the leading vertiport owner and operator in the world. The support of our original investors, who have deep experience in aviation and infrastructure, and the addition of new capital from world class companies with a global footprint, enable us to build the air taxi ecosystem alongside our best-in-class vehicle partners for initial operations within a couple of years. Our growing drone services business puts us ahead of the curve with technology development, regulation and operational experience while reducing carbon emissions by using drones for a broad range of customers.”