Skyportz Embarks on Crowdfunding to Finance Vertiport Prototype

Australian vertiport infrastructure company Skyportz has launched a crowdfunding initiative to fund development of a prototype modular vertiport that it plans to sell worldwide.

Skyportz revealed the design of the modular vertiport designed by Contreras Earl Architecture (Australia) at the World Air Taxi Congress in Istanbul last month. The modular vertiport, constructed from recyclable aluminum, is lightweight, prefabricated, can be shipped anywhere in the world in shipping containers and can be assembled on site.

The design is based on the vertiport Contreras Earl Architecture designed for the Caribbean Business Park in Melbourne, which is expected to be one of the first vertiports in Australia. Skyportz has already completed an in-depth assessment and site analysis at Caribbean Park in conjunction with planning and engineering firm Arup, aviation consultancy To70 Aviation and Contreras Earl Architecture.

Skyportz is using Australian equity crowdfunding platform Birchal, which is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, to fund development of a prototype vertiport. “This fundraise will enable us to fine-tune our design and build our first prototype and then take it to the world,” says Clem Newton-Brown, CEO and founder of Skyportz. “Rather than going down the path of venture capital, we are pursuing a novel retail fundraise using Birchal, a regulated crowdfunding platform. There is so much excitement around this emerging industry, particularly amongst young people, and we want to give people the opportunity to invest small amounts into our business,” says Newton-Brown.

Skyportz has been working on preparing the infrastructure groundwork for advanced air mobility since 2018. Up to now, it has focused on establishing a property database of potential vertiport locations and amassed options on sites around the world. In Australia alone it has identified 400 sites as potential vertiport locations once AAM launches in the country. “It doesn’t matter how good your IP is or how advanced your designs are, if you don’t have access to vertiport sites to build a cohesive network, then you can never be a vertiport operator,” Newton-Brown says.

Once the rules and regulations have been finalized allowing construction of a vertiport network to begin, it will seek a major equity partner to work with.

The company is initially focusing on Australia but is seeking partnerships in Europe, Asia and the Americas.