Builders and VCs explore the impact of air mobility on urban planning at TC Sessions: Mobility 2022 – TechCrunch

Over the past decade, some of the biggest names in the tech, VC, automotive and aerospace industries have poured millions of dollars into developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. And that investment trend shows no sign of slowing any time soon.

Just some of these investors include Google co-founder Larry Page, United Therapeutics founder Martine Rothblatt, UP.Partners co-founder Cyrus Sigari and Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun — along with corporations such as Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, Honda and more. 

Addressing the impact of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) — also called Urban Air Mobility (UAM) — on urban planning and development is a critical step in moving the future of mobility off the road and into the air. What role should it play — in existing cities and when designing future urban transportation systems? What are the costs and benefits? Will the public widely accept and use it?

This issue is why we’re thrilled to announce that Gary Gysin, the CEO of Wisk Aero, and Cyrus Sigari, the co-founder and managing partner at UP.Partner, will share their perspectives on the effect of air mobility on urban planning and development at TC Sessions: Mobility 2022 in San Mateo on May 18-19. We’ll be announcing a third panelist soon.

Gysin — the CEO of Wisk Aero, a leading AAM company that recently received $450 million in funding from Boeing — has more than 30 years of experience in the autonomous vehicle, energy, IOT and enterprise high-technology industries. During his career, he has been recognized as an innovative executive with a reputation for transforming startups into global businesses.

Prior to Wisk, Gysin served as the president and CEO of Liquid Robotics, an autonomous ocean robotics company that changed the way the world accesses, collects and monitors ocean data.

Other companies where Gysin held CEO and EVP positions include Asempra, McData Corporation, Novell/Volera, PGSoft and Silver Spring Networks. While helming Asempra, Liquid Robotics and PGSoft, Gysin led the growth and subsequent sales of all three Silicon Valley startup companies.

An aviator, entrepreneur and investor, Cyrus Sigari is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on the AAM and eVTOL aircraft industries, which Morgan Stanley predicts will become a $9 trillion global market by 2050.

Sigari is co-founder and managing partner of UP.Partners, an early-stage venture firm investing in technology companies that support a multi-dimensional future. In 2021, UP.Partners launched a $230 million venture capital fund, which includes investments from Alaska Air Group (the parent company of Alaska Air), Cathie Wood and Woven Capital. 

Gysin and Sigari bring an abundance of knowledge and experience in eVTOL and UAM from both the builder and investor point of view. And we’ll announce a third expert to the mix soon. 

Much work remains before we see city skies around the world filled with air taxis and unmanned drones delivering people and freight in densely populated areas. Don’t miss this important and fascinating discussion about the impact of air mobility on urban planning and development. 

TC Sessions: Mobility 2022 breaks through the hype and goes beyond the headlines to discover how merging technology and transportation will affect a broad swath of industries, cities and the people who work and live in them. Register today and reserve your seat before prices increase next week!