Passenger drones could be traversing city skies sooner than you think – German aircraft maker Volocopter recently flew its first autonomous passenger drone tests in Dubai, flying for five minutes at around 650 feet in a trial with no one on board. Long-term, the plan is to have aircraft zipping around at between 30 and 60 mph, with 30 minutes of in-air operating time and the ability to pick up and drop-off passengers on demand, with no pilot required.
Volocopter co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Alex Zosel will join Atomico partner Yann de Vries on stage at Disrupt Berlin 2017 to discuss the challenges of building a new kind of aircraft company aimed at the looming opportunity of autonomous passenger flight, which is increasingly an area of interest and investment from startups all the way up to aerospace industry giants.
Zosel, a serial entrepreneur, can shed light on what it takes to build a company from the ground up focused on making something that seems ripped from science fiction a practical reality. It’s a tech problem, to be sure – but also one that’s fraught and complex on the side of regulation and public trust, which definitely puts it among the most ambitious goals a startup can pursue today.
Atomico’s de Vries can speak to why autonomous air travel is turning into a bit of a hot spot for venture interest, despite its many obvious roadblocks, and what’s on the horizon for bold bets in the future of transportation.
Get your Disrupt tickets right now to save 30 percent off of your tickets and see Zosel and de Vries talk about the future of mobility — prices will go up in a couple of days. You’ll also see the Startup Battlefield competition, in which a handful of startups pitch our judges with the hopes of winning the coveted Disrupt Cup and a cash prize.
You’ll get to chat with plenty of promising startups in Startup Alley, see amazing talks on the main stage, and unwind after a long day at the show with a cocktail and some new friends at the Disrupt after party.
Do you run a startup? The Startup Alley Exhibitor Package is your best bet to get the greatest exposure by exhibiting your company or product directly on the Disrupt Berlin show floor.