SINGAPORE & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 3, 2026--
Vertical Aerospace (“Vertical”) [NYSE:EVTL], a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, today announced it has been selected as a winner of the “Dimension X Cohort 7 Challenge”, and awarded a Proof-of-concept (POC) grant by Hatch, an innovation centre of Singapore’s Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX) for public safety.
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The grant will enable Vertical to develop, test and validate an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) use case for its Valo aircraft platform, its commercial eVTOL aircraft. The project is focused on how electric and hybrid-electric vertical flight could support time-critical medical response for remote island areas around Singapore.
Under the programme, Vertical will work with HTX, Hatch and operational stakeholders to:
The project will run through April 2026 and will include collaboration with the Singapore Home Team to assess and trial how eVTOL and VTOL aircraft could complement existing emergency response systems and potentially help improve patient outcomes in critical scenarios.
Vertical was chosen following a competitive selection process, underscoring the safety-first design, cabin mission flexibility and credible certification approach of the Valo aircraft. The programme represents a foundational step toward longer-term collaboration in exploring the introduction of safe, operational Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) applications beyond trials and into real service in Singapore.
The initiative aligns with Singapore’s efforts to develop the AAM industry, led by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and supported by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). These include enabling the safe introduction of next-generation aircraft and growing the AAM ecosystem in Singapore.
Stuart Simpson, CEO Vertical Aerospace, said: “We are proud to work closely with Singapore’s public-sector safety and security experts to explore how electric and hybrid-electric aircraft could support emergency response operations safely and effectively. This is an important step in making AAM a reality in the region.”
Shao Hong Mok, Centre Director (Hatch) and Senior VP, Innovations (TechX Ventures), said: “Through the Dimension X Challenge, HTX partners industry innovators to explore how emerging technologies can responsively address real operational needs. Our collaboration with Vertical Aerospace allows us to assess the potential of Advanced Air Mobility for emergency medical response, while maintaining a strong focus on safety, regulation and operational readiness.”
About the Dimension X Open Innovation Challenge
The Dimension X open innovation challenge identifies and supports early-stage companies developing dual-use technologies with strong potential to enhance public safety globally.
Winning companies receive S$100,000 (approximately £60,000) in non-dilutive funding, alongside access to HTX’s technical experts, operational end-users and a collaborative development programme designed to refine and validate solutions through real-world testing.
About Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace is a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner, and quieter way to travel. Valo is a piloted, four-passenger, Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with zero operating emissions. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the advanced air mobility market.
Vertical combines partnerships with leading aerospace companies, including Honeywell, Syensqo and Aciturri, with its own proprietary battery and propeller technology to develop the world’s most advanced and safest eVTOL.
Vertical has c.1,500 pre-orders of Valo, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Certain customer obligations are expected to be fulfilled via third-party agreements. Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Vertical’s experienced leadership team comes from top-tier aerospace and automotive companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, GM, and Leonardo. Together, they have previously certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Dimension X Cohort 7 Challenge and Proof-of-concept grant by Hatch, Vertical’s ability to develop, test and validate an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) use cases for its Valo aircraft platform; the design and manufacture of the Valo aircraft; the features and capabilities of the Valo aircraft; the certification and the commercialization of the Valo aircraft and the timing thereof; the completion of the piloted test programme phases including transition flight and the hybrid-electric variant on the intended timeline or at all; the business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, including capital expenditure requirements, which may be higher than anticipated; our ability and plans to raise additional capital to fund our operations; the assumptions underlying the Company’s goals, including Flightpath 2030; the differential strategy compared to our peer group; expectations surrounding pre-orders and commitments; our plans for capital expenditures, as well as statements that include the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “potential,” “continue,” “are likely to” and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 11, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.
Grant will support real-world EMS mission development for Valo in Singapore
OSLO, Norway (AP) — The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape charges as he went on trial Tuesday for multiple alleged offenses, opening weeks of proceedings in a case that has cast a shadow on the royal family’s image.
Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.
Høiby stood while prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø read out the 38 counts against him in the Oslo district court, asking him if he pleaded guilty. He replied “no” to the most serious charges, including the four counts of rape.
The charges also include abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of marijuana. Others include making death threats and traffic violations.
Høiby pleaded guilty to several driving offenses, to an aggravated drugs offense and to breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault. Wearing glasses, a brown sweater and beige trousers, he spoke quietly and conferred regularly with a defense lawyer.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 for the national sexual assault hotline in the U.S. or +47 800 57 000 for the helpline for victims of sexual abuse in Norway.
Prosecutors have said that Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted in the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19. Seven accusers are expected to testify.
“There is equality before the law," Henriksbø told the court. "The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. He shall nevertheless be treated in the same way as any other person who is charged with the same offenses.”
The defendant sat between defense lawyers Ellen Holager Andenæs and Petar Sekulic for the beginning of the trial and moved later to a table behind them, where he fiddled with a chain while the prosecutor outlined the allegations.
Reflecting international interest in the trial, Judge Jon Sverdrup Efjestad addressed the court in English, warning that it was prohibited to record or take photographs in the courtroom and advising that some witness testimony would be heard behind closed doors.
Andenæs argued that Høiby's fame had already colored the case. She said he had faced a “tsunami of publicity” over a long period that had made him “feel that he is losing control of his life,” and that the weight of public scrutiny from thousands of newspaper articles had made it difficult for him to believe he could prevail.
“Like everyone else, he is innocent until proven guilty. The verdict will be pronounced in this courtroom and not anywhere else,” the defense lawyer told the court. "It is only you who will decide this.”
Outside the courtroom, Hege Salomon, a lawyer for one of the women accusing Høiby of rape, said her client wanted to remain anonymous and was “very scared” that the public might learn her name, adding “the media coverage adds to the pressure, especially because she’s not a famous person.”
Salomon said her client had been contacted by police and decided to testify, “and she thinks it’s correct that ... they have pressed charges and so on, but it was not her that initiated it.”
The investigation began in 2024. Police were first called to an apartment in Oslo's upscale Frogner neighborhood following reports of a violent incident. Høiby was arrested and later released, but the case expanded as more women came forward with allegations.
The indictment prosecutors centers on four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with violations of a restraining order.
It was expanded in January, when Høiby was charged with six more offenses, including possession and delivery of large quantities of marijuana and further restraining order violations.
He was free pending trial until Sunday, when police said he was arrested over new allegations of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.
Crown Prince Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit don't plan to attend the trial and that the royal house doesn't intend to comment during the proceedings.
King Harald, 88, and the royals are generally popular in Norway, but the Høiby case has been a problem for the family's image.
The trial opened at a particularly sensitive moment. Mette-Marit faces renewed scrutiny over her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges, following the release on Friday of a new batch of documents from the Epstein files.
They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported. The documents, which include email exchanges, showed that Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013. Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that the stay was arranged through a mutual friend, which was later confirmed by the royal household.
Mette-Marit said in a statement that she “must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly, and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was.” She added: “I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing.”
Lewis reported from Stavanger. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.
A court sketch of Marius Borg Hoiby is drawn during the first day of the trial against him, which is taking place in room 250 of the Oslo District Court, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix/Pool via AP)
A court sketch of Marius Borg Hoiby during the first day of the trial against him, which is taking place in room 250 of the Oslo District Court, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix/Pool via AP)
Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo, right, investigation leader Andreas Kruszewski, left, and defense attorney John Christian Elden, speak during the first day of the trial against Marius Borg Hoiby, charged with a total of 38 incidents, including four rapes, assault, violence, threats, damage, storage and delivery of marijuana, violation of a restraining order and violation of the Road Traffic Act, in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026.(Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Defense attorneys Ellen Holager Andenaes, left, and Petar Sekulic, sit at the start of the first day of trial against Marius Borg Hoiby, charged with a total of 38 incidents, including four rapes, assault, violence, threats, damage, storage and delivery of marijuana, violation of a restraining order and violation of the Road Traffic Act, in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026.(Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Administrator Jon Sverdrup Efjestad sits during the first day of the trial against Marius Borg Hoiby, charged with a total of 38 incidents, including four rapes, assault, violence, threats, damage, storage and delivery of marijuana, violation of a restraining order and violation of the Road Traffic Act, in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026.(Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Members of the media gather ahead of the first day of the trial against Marius Borg Høiby in Oslo, Norway Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)
FILE - Norway's Marius Borg Hoiby and Crown Princess Mette-Marit in Oslo, June 16, 2022. (Lise Aserud/NTB via AP, File)
