Archer Aviation sues Vertical over eVTOL patents

Archer Aviation Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Vertical Aerospace Ltd. and Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Archer Aviation Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Vertical Aerospace Ltd. and Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The suit alleges that Vertical’s Valo eVTOL aircraft infringes multiple Archer patents related to its Midnight eVTOL aircraft.

Archer is seeking an injunction to stop the allegedly infringing activities and monetary damages for past alleged infringement. The disclosure is furnished under Regulation FD and is not deemed filed under Section 18 of the Exchange Act.

Insights

Aerospace & IP litigation analyst

Archer opens patent fight with Vertical over eVTOL designs.

Archer Aviation is asserting its intellectual property by suing Vertical Aerospace in the Eastern District of Texas, a venue known for handling patent cases. The complaint targets Vertical’s Valo eVTOL, claiming it infringes multiple patents tied to Archer’s Midnight aircraft.

Archer is asking the court for an injunction to halt the allegedly infringing conduct and for monetary damages covering past alleged infringement. Any financial or operational impact will depend on how the court rules on liability, remedies, and timing in this litigation.

8-K Event Classification

Item 7.01 — Regulation FD Disclosure

1 item

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure Disclosure

Material non-public information disclosed under Regulation Fair Disclosure, often investor presentations or guidance.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did Archer Aviation (ACHR) disclose in this Form 8-K?

Archer Aviation disclosed it filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Vertical Aerospace in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging Vertical’s Valo eVTOL aircraft infringes multiple Archer patents related to its Midnight eVTOL aircraft design and technology.

Who is Archer Aviation (ACHR) suing in its patent case?

Archer Aviation is suing Vertical Aerospace Ltd. and Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. The complaint centers on Vertical’s Valo electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which Archer alleges infringes several patents it owns connected to its Midnight eVTOL aircraft platform.

What patents are at issue in Archer Aviation’s (ACHR) lawsuit?

The lawsuit claims that Vertical’s Valo aircraft infringes multiple Archer-owned patents related to the company’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft. The specific patent numbers are not listed in this disclosure, but Archer characterizes them as covering technology used in its Midnight design.

What remedies is Archer Aviation (ACHR) seeking in the lawsuit?

Archer is seeking an injunction and monetary damages. It asks the court to stop Vertical from continuing the allegedly infringing activities involving the Valo eVTOL aircraft and to award monetary damages for what Archer describes as past infringement of its Midnight-related patents.

Does this Archer Aviation (ACHR) 8-K affect its SEC filing status?

The information is being furnished, not filed, under Regulation FD. Archer states the disclosure, including Exhibit 99.1, is not deemed filed for Section 18 liability purposes and is not automatically incorporated into other Securities Act or Exchange Act filings.

Where was Archer Aviation’s (ACHR) patent lawsuit filed?

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. This court is identified as the venue for Archer’s patent infringement action against Vertical Aerospace concerning the Valo eVTOL aircraft and Archer’s Midnight-related patents.

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 02/24/2026 - 04:32 PM EST Learn about SEC filing dates

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 23, 2026

Archer Aviation Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware

001-39668

85-2730902

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer Identification No.)

190 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA						95134
(Address of principal executive offices)						(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 650-272-3233

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share

ACHR

New York Stock Exchange

Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share

ACHR WS

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  o

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  o

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On February 23, 2026, Archer Aviation Inc. (“Archer”) filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Vertical Aerospace Ltd. and Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. (collectively, “Vertical”) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleges that Vertical’s electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) Valo aircraft infringes multiple patents owned by Archer relating to its Midnight eVTOL aircraft.

Archer seeks, among other things, an injunction to prevent Vertical from continuing its infringing activities, as well as monetary damages for past infringement.

The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto, is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of such section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

			ARCHER AVIATION INC.
Date: February 24, 2026			By:			/s/ Eric Lentell
			Name:			Eric Lentell
			Title:			Chief Legal & Strategy Officer

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA DOCUMENT 2.1 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION DEFINITION LINKBASE DOCUMENT 15.1 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE DOCUMENT 26.4 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT 15.8 KB