- Local state capital leads the round, with insurance money entering the aircraft maker for the first time
- Company advances both eCTOL and eVTOL lines as it pushes toward certification and commercial rollout
Hefei-based electric aircraft maker ZeroG (零重力飞机) has raised nearly 500 million yuan ($74 million) in a new funding round led by local state investors, with insurance capital entering for the first time.
The latest fundraising brought in a broader mix of long-term institutional backers in China’s fast-growing low-altitude economy.
The round was led by Hefei state-backed investors, with participation from insurance fund manger Sinosafe Assets, alongside returning investors Seas Capital and F&G Venture.
To date, ZeroG has completed nine financing rounds, bringing its total publicly disclosed funding to approximately 1.2 billion yuan.
Local government-linked capital has been a recurring presence in ZeroG’s ownership base, including funds associated with the Hefei government and venture units under the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei.
Market observers interpret the latest entry of insurance capital as a vote of confidence in the company’s certification pathway and the perceived controlability of operational risks in low-altitude aviation.
eCTOL and eVTOL
ZeroG is one of the few Chinese aircraft manufacturers simultaneously developing both eCTOL (electric conventional takeoff and landing aircraft) and eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), with both product lines now moving toward commercialization.
On the eCTOL side, the company already holds airworthiness certification for its RX1E-A electric light sport aircraft and the amphibious RX1E-S variant.
The two eCTOL models have collectively secured close to 100 orders and generated deposits and milestone payments worth several million yuan, forming an early revenue base.
In the eVTOL segment, its multi-rotor ZG-ONE targeting low-altitude tourism has had its type certification application accepted by China’s aviation regulator, with delivery targeted for 2027 after expected certification in 2026.
Its tilt-rotor ZG-T6 has completed full-scale prototype assembly and made its first flight in January 2026, with type certification application accepted in February.
Tapping into Hefei’s ecosystem
Founded in 2022, ZeroG relocated its headquarters and production base to Hefei, a city that has positioned itself as an early pilot zone for low-altitude airspace reform.
Founder Li Yiheng has previously said Anhui’s early liberalization of low-altitude airspace, combined with its strength in electric vehicle supply chains, particularly batteries and smart cockpit systems, gives the region a structural advantage for eVTOL development.
The startup is building a network of green aviation bases across China, including pilot sites in Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei and Liaoning, aimed at integrating tourism, training, events and low-altitude transport applications.
