Munich-based aviation startup VÆRIDION has pulled in €124.5 million in fresh capital and public funding, a major injection aimed at reviving short-haul electric flight across Europe. The package combines a €30 million Series A2 equity round with a €94.5 million grant selection from the European Commission’s Innovation Fund.
The raise lands at a moment when European investors are pouring money into next-generation aircraft. France, Britain and Denmark have all seen recent funding rounds for electric, hybrid and autonomous aviation ventures.
Dutch funds SHIFT Invest and Invest-NL co-led the equity portion. Existing backers World Fund, Project A and Vsquared Ventures joined as well, along with PAYBACK founder Alexander Rittweger. VÆRIDION has now raised roughly €60 million from private investors, not counting the EU grant.
CEO and founder Ivor van Dartel said the company has moved the Microliner from a validated design into real hardware over the past year. Propulsion and battery systems are already undergoing testing at the firm’s Oberpfaffenhofen facility. The new equity, he explained, will fund construction of the first certification-conforming aircraft. The grant, meanwhile, supports the CAROLUS project, which will establish an industrial production line at the same Bavarian site.
The Microliner targets nine passengers over roughly 400 kilometres. VÆRIDION claims operating costs could fall below €0.40 per seat-kilometre, potentially matching first-class rail fares on Germany’s ICE network. The startup reports commitments for more than 130 aircraft, worth over €730 million, with Belgium’s ASL Group as launch customer. First deliveries are scheduled for 2030.
The Innovation Fund selection stands out. VÆRIDION was one of only 12 large-scale projects chosen from 358 applications, and the sole German company in that category. The grant agreement is expected to finalize in 2027.
World Fund’s Daria Saharova framed the investment as Europe’s answer to decades of Airbus dominance. SHIFT Invest’s Thijs Gitmans pointed to electrification as both an environmental and commercial win for regional routes.
VÆRIDION now prepares to integrate its battery packs and propulsion system into a ground-testing platform. Wind-tunnel work continues alongside it. A first certification-conforming prototype could arrive by late 2027 or early 2028, with flight testing and industrial production to follow.
