Lilium N.V. (Nasdaq: LILM), a leading electric aircraft
manufacturer and pioneer in Regional Air Mobility (RAM), today
announced that its principal German subsidiaries will apply for
self-administration proceedings in the next few days with the
competent court in Germany. This follows a lengthy and complex
government approval process for a loan from KfW, which failed in
the Budget Committee of the German parliament.
Lilium’s international competition is receiving grants and loans
in the U.S., France, China, Brazil, and the UK. Therefore, German
government support was seen by Lilium investors as critical to
retain market confidence and potential future investment.
“Our plan was to obtain shareholder investment in a new funding
round anchored by a German government backed loan of €100 million,”
Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe said. “We had already conditionally secured
additional private capital to complement the KfW loan. However, the
Budget Committee was unable to agree on the loan and Bavaria
couldn’t do it alone.”
German government support of the KfW loan was a closing
condition to already committed private funding and without this
support Lilium was left with no alternative but to cause the
principal German subsidiaries to file for self-administration.
Lilium was also in advanced discussions regarding a French
government guarantee of a €219 million loan to finance a battery
factory and an assembly line in the Southwest of France. Following
the Lilium Jet’s planned first flight in early 2025, Lilium
anticipated receiving pre-delivery payments and new investment to
finance the company into 2026 when the company expected delivery
would begin on its current order pipeline consisting of firm
orders, reservations, options, and memoranda of understanding for
more than 780 Lilium Jets to operators in the U.S., South America,
Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Supporting the insolvency proceedings is now the top priority
for Lilium. Customers, employees and suppliers will be notified by
the company as soon as possible.
Self-administration, if and when granted by the court, aims to
preserve and continue the business that is the subject of the
proceedings. Management would retain control and would continue
operating the business under the supervision of a custodian. The
procedure is often used to initiate investment by new parties or a
process to sell the company’s assets and/or business as a whole. In
Germany, the procedure is generally perceived as providing an
improved chance for a successful in-court business
restructuring.
“We deeply regret the insolvency and its consequences for all
stakeholders at such a crucial stage of our company’s development,”
CEO Klaus Roewe said. “However, while there is no guarantee for
success in insolvency proceedings, we hope that the Lilium Jet will
get a chance for a fresh start after the self-administration
process is completed.”
“We strongly believe that electric flying is our best hope for
the decarbonization of aviation,” Klaus Roewe added.
Directly impacted by the filing are Lilium GmbH and Lilium
eAircraft GmbH. Plans for affected stakeholders and the operational
implementation of the necessary measures will be shared in the
coming days after the filing and related procedures have been
launched.
Lilium Contact information for media: Rainer
Ohler +49 1724890353
Rainer.ohler@seniorstrategists.compress@lilium.com
Lilium Contact information for investors: Rama
Bondada Vice President, Investor Relations
investors@lilium.com
About Lilium Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) is creating
a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional
transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an
all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, designed to offer
leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero
operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of
air travel. Working with aerospace, technology, and infrastructure
leaders, and with announced sales and indications of interest in
Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, the UK, the United Arab
Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium’s 1,000+ strong
team includes approximately 500 aerospace engineers and a
leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most
successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s
headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany,
with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit
www.lilium.com.
Lilium Forward Looking Statements This press
release contains certain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited
to, statements regarding the ongoing fundraising efforts (including
with the German and French governments), expectations regarding the
self-administration proceedings in Germany, the markets and
industry in which Lilium operates or intends to operate, including
the estimated potential future size of the global eVTOL market, and
the timing of first flight (and prospective receipt of pre-delivery
payment and new investment at that time) and the Lilium Jet’s entry
into service. . These forward-looking statements generally are
identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,”
“estimate,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “on track,” “plan,”
“project,” “should,” “strategy,” “will,” “would” and similar
expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions,
projections, and other statements about future events that are
based on management’s current expectations with respect to future
events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risk and
uncertainties that are subject to change at any time. Actual events
or results may differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual future
events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in
this press release include the risk that appropriate government
approvals for the financing will not be obtained, and the risk that
definitive documentation for the financing will not be agreed, as
well as those risks and uncertainties discussed in Lilium’s filings
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”),
including in the section titled “Risk Factors” in Exhibit 99.2 of
the Report on Form 6-K filed by Lilium with the SEC on July 17,
2024 and similarly titled sections in Lilium’s other SEC filings,
all of which are available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date they are made. You are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements,
and Lilium assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to,
update, or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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