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Dive Brief:
Boeing is selling three of its subsidiaries to Archer Aviation in exchange for a minority stake in the electric aircraft startup, according to a securities filing Monday.
Archer has agreed to acquire Wisk Aero, a maker of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft; drone company Insitu; and air traffic software firm Skygrid. Boeing’s stake in Archer will amount to 19.75% of Class A shares with options to buy more shares over the next four years, according to the filing.
Boeing has also agreed to invest up to $55 million in stock in Archer’s next funding round, any time before March 31, 2027. The sale is expected to close by the end of 2026.
Dive Insight:
The pending sale allows Boeing to prioritize its commercial, defense and global services, focusing on safety and quality of its plane manufacturing processes.
In 2025, the plane titan sold a portion of its digital aviation software business unit to private equity software firm Thoma Bravo for $10.55 billion. The company also reacquired fuselage supplier Spirit Aerosystems for $8.4 billion, while also selling some of its assets to rival Airbus in an effort to comply with global government requirements.
Boeing also aims to deliver 500 737s and 90 to 100 787 planes by the end of 2026. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the company’s new 737-7 plane, clearing it for commercial service, according to an Aug. 3 press release.
In addition to Boeing’s stake in Archer, the agreement also involves the two companies collaborating on improving and developing new products, Archer CEO and Chairman Adam Goldstein said during a second quarter earnings call Monday.
Once the deal closes, Archer will own the Wisk intellectual property. The company will share Wisk’s autonomous flight technology with Boeing for its next-generation commercial and defense aircraft, according to the press release.
Goldstein credits Brian Yutko, vice president of product development for Boeing’s commercial plane segment, for driving the business relationship between the two entities. Yutko previously served as Wisk’s CEO.
“This transaction is a win-win for Boeing and Archer,” Yutko said in a statement. “It allows Wisk, SkyGrid and Insitu to accelerate capability development and time to market while ensuring Boeing capitalizes on its investments in these technologies over the past two decades through continued development in our core businesses.”
