Grab ties up with air taxi firm to conduct feasibility study in South-east Asia
[SINGAPORE] Ride-hailing firm Grab and German air mobility startup Volocopter will conduct a joint feasibility study to explore the prospect of offering airborne rides in South-east Asia.
In a memorandum of understanding, the two will look into the most suitable cities and routes to deploy air taxis, evaluate the best-use cases for air taxis, and explore the possibility of joint flight tests.
Volocopter is among a number of players looking to deploy autonomous electric drones which can carry passengers.
The findings will lay the groundwork for potential cooperation between both companies which could include launching air taxi services.
Volocopter chief executive said in a statement: "This cooperation is another important step towards the commercialisation of urban air mobility in one of the most traffic-congested regions of the world."
Grab Ventures head Chris Yeo said: "This partnership will enable Volocopter to further develop urban air mobility solutions that are relevant for South-east Asian commuters so they can decide on their preferred journey option based on their budgets, time constraints and other needs, in a seamless way."
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Garage
The hottest news on all things startup and tech to kickstart your week.
THE STRAITS TIMES
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Startups
Semiconductor unicorn Silicon Box vows to avoid geopolitical mire
A cheat sheet of startup and tech M&As in South-east Asia
Zilingo ex-CEO’s criminal complaint is retaliation against whistleblowers: source
Gojek and ComfortDelGro Taxi to send untaken rides to each other’s platforms
SG fintech firm Bambu shuts down after missing profit targets, says founder
Telemedicine platforms evolve beyond virtual consultations