The European Investment Bank is providing advisory support to VÆRIDION, a German startup aiming to bring a fully electric, nine-seat regional aircraft to market by 2030.
Through the EU Innovation Fund Project Development Assistance (IFPDA) programme, the EIB will help VÆRIDION refine its business plan, financing structure, and risk analysis. This support is designed to make the company’s “Microliner” project more attractive to private investors and prepare it for larger public funding rounds, facilitating the shift from prototype to serial production.
VÆRIDION’s Microliner is engineered for zero-emission flights on short-haul routes up to 400 kilometers. The aircraft aims to reconnect communities via Europe’s existing network of 2,300 regional airports, offering a quieter, cleaner alternative to fossil-fuel-powered planes with no CO2, NOx, or contrails.
Headquartered in Munich, the company plans to build a manufacturing hub at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport for its proprietary battery systems. With a first flight targeted for 2027, VÆRIDION has already secured initial customer orders. Ivor van Dartel, CEO and Co-founder, noted that the EIB’s scaleup expertise is vital for turning their technology into a bankable industrial project capable of decarbonizing short-haul aviation within the decade.
