China's Yuntu Aviation raises tens of millions of yuan for ducted-fan eVTOL
What's the deal? Yuntu AviationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Shanghai-based developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has raised tens of millions of yuan in an early-stage round. Pudong Angel Fund of Funds led the round, with Mogan Mountain Fund also participating.
Where the money goes: The funds will support development of Yuntu's full-scale YT300 aircraft, testing of its ducted power system, and hiring for the core research team.
What's the endgame? Founded in 2024, Yuntu builds passenger eVTOL aircraft alongside its own electric ducted-fan propulsion systems. It is one of the few Chinese firms integrating both airframe and core power development in-house.
A different route: Rather than follow established designs, Yuntu chose a non-tilting architecture built around distributed ducted fans and powered lift. The aircraft carries 20 distributed power units, and it can still fly stably if one fails.
The design encloses propellers inside ducts to shield the blades and cut noise from blade-tip vortices. Its powered-lift approach uses high-speed airflow to boost wing lift during low-speed hover, which the company says avoids the stability problems of tilt-rotor structures.
Why now? Yuntu's full-scale YT300 engineering demonstrator has completed all ground tests, with a first flight planned for the end of this year.
The business model: Beyond building aircraft, Yuntu sells its self-developed power systems to third parties. It offers ducted fans across thrust levels from 60kg to 1,000kg and has delivered standardised units in volume to research institutes and aviation firms.
Founder Tian Yun spent years in aviation research and worked on the supercritical wing and high-lift devices for the C919 airliner. The core team has experience bringing commercial and general aviation aircraft to market.
The signal: China's urban low-altitude mobility sector is drawing steady early-stage capital, and Yuntu's bet is that owning both airframe and propulsion — and selling the latter — can fund the long road to certification. Its non-tilting structure, the company argues, offers a natural advantage for future airworthiness approval.
Read more: sohu.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
