Three years after settling a trade secret lawsuit, electric aircraft company Archer Aviation now owns its former rival, Wisk Aero. The acquisition is a capstone to a once-embittered relationship between two companies developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. In April 2021, Wisk sued Archer for “brazen theft” of confidential information and intellectual property. Under the terms of the settlement, Archer agreed to make Wisk the exclusive provider of autonomous technology. Meanwhile, Archer, a California-based startup founded in 2018, has expanded its electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOL) program beyond its initial plan to build an air taxi network.