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Lilium N.V.
Lilium N.V. was a German eVTOL aircraft developer founded in 2015, went public via SPAC in 2021, and collapsed into insolvency in December 2024.
Lilium N.V.
Lilium N.V. was founded in 2015 in Munich by a group of engineers from the Technical University of Munich. Its seven-seat electric jet design targeted regional air mobility from 2025 onward (per SEC filings, 2021). The company raised over $1.5B in equity and convertible debt (per public SEC filings, 2024). Major investors included Tencent, Baillie Gifford, and Atomico. It went public via a SPAC merger with Qell Acquisition Corp. in September 2021 at a $3.3B valuation (per SEC, 2021). By 2024, Lilium had nearly 1,000 employees across offices in Munich, Wessling, and Florida. December 2024: the firm entered insolvency proceedings after the German government declined a €50M loan guarantee (per Reuters, December 2024). Lilium operated as a traditional development-stage aerospace company, not a family office or asset manager. Its collapse underscores the capital intensity of certifying novel aircraft under EASA and FAA regulations — a requirement the firm never completed.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
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AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
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City
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Corporate office
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Frequently asked questions
Did Lilium ever fly passengers?
No. Lilium conducted its first test flight in 2019 with a two-seat technology demonstrator, but never completed full certification. The company targeted 2025 for commercial launch but entered insolvency in late 2024 without approval from EASA or FAA (per Reuters, 2024).
What caused Lilium's collapse?
Lilium ran out of cash after failing to secure a €50M loan guarantee from the German government. The firm had already raised over $1.5B from investors including Tencent and Baillie Gifford, but could not close a sufficient bridge round to reach certification (per Reuters, December 2024).
Was Lilium a publicly traded company?
Yes. Lilium merged with SPAC Qell Acquisition Corp. in September 2021 and traded on the Nasdaq under ticker LILM. Its peak market capitalization approached $3.3B before declining to near zero by late 2024 (per SEC filings).
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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