April 25, 2025, marked a patent deal officially registered between Archer Aviation Inc. and OverAir Inc., where rights to 3 US patents covering electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) technologies were transferred. Although the exact form of the deal—whether a licensing arrangement or outright sale—remains undisclosed by either company, the move demonstrates ongoing traction in the fast-paced urban air mobility (UAM) industry.
The patents that were being transferred in this deal were originally related to Abraham Karem, a visionary of unmanned and VTOL aircraft technologies, and his firm Karem Aircraft. OverAir Inc., which was a spin-off of Karem Aircraft in 2020, took over a vast portfolio of VTOL intellectual property and know-how. This latest transaction is a major milestone as OverAir continues to be at the forefront of cutting-edge aerial mobility, while Archer consolidates its IP portfolio to complement its commercial push.
Overview of the Patents
The three patents assigned involve key areas of electric VTOL aircraft design and performance, all contributing to enabling future urban flight systems:
Purebred and Hybrid Electric VTOL Tilt Rotor Aircraft
This patent includes VTOL electrically powered airplane designs with pure electric and hybrid configurations. Their purpose is to counteract noise pollution, in-flight safety during urban flight operations, and complexities in propulsion. What is particular interest is how they detail such energy redundancy devices as backup energy supplies (for instance, batteries, fuel cells, generators), where the flight vehicle can resume flying even after a loss in its main power supply. The configurations also accommodate a range of hybridization from all-electric to heavy hybrids, providing for flexibility in support of different operations and regulatory landscapes.
Fail-Operational VTOL Aircraft
The second patent outlines an aircraft with at least four stand-alone rotor systems that can lift more than 400 pounds of payload. The VTOL design is focused on safety and redundancy. The aircraft can perform a controlled vertical takeoff or landing even if there is a failure in one of its variable-pitch rotors. The integrated electronic control system controls rotor speed and pitch dynamically, which makes the overall system robust. These fail-operational capabilities are important in enabling eVTOL aircraft to be certified according to regulatory requirements for deployment in urban environments and autonomous operations.
Propulsion System for Electric Aircraft
The third patent introduces a new propulsion system where the propulsion rotor torque is separated from the main mast structural loads. This provides smoother and more effective torque transfer from the electric motor to the rotors with minimized mechanical stress and enhanced energy efficiency. The modular design of the system accommodates different aircraft configurations to increase flexibility across different aircraft models.
About the Archer Aviation Inc.
Archer Aviation Inc. is a United States-based aerospace firm engaged in the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to be deployed within urban air mobility networks. Aspiring to cut traffic congestion and carbon footprint within congested city areas, Archer is constructing a fleet of eVTOL planes optimized for short-range, high-frequency flight operations. The firm focuses on safety, sustainability, and scalability during aircraft design and production processes. Additional information about the company is available at archer.com.
About OverAir Inc.
OverAir Inc., established in 2020 as a spin-off from Karem Aircraft, is also dedicated to revolutionizing air transportation with its patented VTOL technologies. Supported by decades of defense and aerospace engineering expertise, OverAir continues to push the boundaries in the advanced air mobility market. Its heritage lies in the achievements of Abraham Karem and Ben Tigner, both rotorcraft and UAV development veterans. Additional information can be found at overair.com.
Strategic and Technological Implications
Although the exact terms of the deal are not publicly disclosed, acquiring or licensing these patents can indicate Archer's intention to expand and enrich its technological prowess. These patents open the door to advanced designs that boost aircraft performance, durability, and regulatory approval—key elements to commercial eVTOL adoption in densely populated urban areas.
In addition, the intellectual property concerned is the culmination of years of R&D aimed at addressing critical engineering challenges in the UAM space. The technologies addressed—spanning hybrid propulsion and energy redundancy to rotorcraft control systems—are foundational to making safe, quiet, and efficient aerial transport at scale possible.
Future Prospects
Electric VTOL planes have the potential to transform how people and commodities travel through cities. As cities continue to urbanize, the need for quiet, clean, and efficient ways to move around cities beyond the ground is on the rise. eVTOL platforms provide a strong answer by providing point-to-point travel, avoiding surface traffic, and decreasing travel time by a factor of many.
The patents assigned in this transaction represent fundamental technologies required to make such visions a reality. They cover not just performance and efficiency but also essential regulatory issues like fail-safe operation and noise reduction. As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and international aviation regulators start to delineate certification paths for eVTOL aircraft, companies with strong, safety-focused IP portfolios will be well positioned at the front.
This deal might also signal broader industry consolidation around enabler technologies. As commercialization nears for eVTOL developers, access to vetted innovations—be it by acquisition, collaboration, or license—can help deliver a development and regulatory-approval advantage.
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