Archer Aviation announced a partnership with NVIDIA to embed the IGX Thor AI computing platform into its Midnight eVTOL aircraft and future programs. The announcement was made on January 8, 2026 at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, and the company plans to debut the integration at its newly acquired Hawthorne Airport hub, which serves as a testbed for AI‑powered aviation technologies.
The IGX Thor platform is engineered for real‑time, safety‑critical AI workloads, providing advanced perception, decision‑making, and predictive capabilities that are essential for autonomous flight. By leveraging NVIDIA’s high‑performance GPU architecture and software stack, Archer aims to reduce pilot workload, improve flight safety, and accelerate the path to regulatory certification for its eVTOL fleet.
Financially, Archer reported a Q3 2025 net loss of $129.9 million, up from $115.3 million in Q3 2024, driven largely by $120.7 million in R&D expenses. The company’s revenue remains at zero as it continues to develop and certify its aircraft, but the partnership opens potential licensing and service revenue streams that could offset future operating costs. Archer’s liquidity stands at over $2 billion after recent capital raises, providing a strong buffer for the capital‑intensive certification process.
Strategically, the Hawthorne Airport acquisition—completed for $126 million—provides Archer with a dedicated operational hub and a controlled environment to validate AI integration before commercial deployment. The NVIDIA partnership positions Archer ahead of competitors such as Joby Aviation, which is also exploring IGX Thor for autonomous flight, and signals Archer’s commitment to maintaining a technology moat in a rapidly evolving eVTOL market.
On the day of the announcement, Archer’s stock advanced 6.3 percent, reflecting investor confidence in the partnership’s potential to enhance safety, accelerate certification, and create new revenue opportunities. The market reaction was driven primarily by the strategic alignment with NVIDIA and the tangible progress toward autonomous operations.
CEO Adam Goldstein said, “CES has always been a launchpad for technologies that reshape industries, and we’re proud to announce our AI collaboration with NVIDIA here. NVIDIA’s AI compute capabilities and software stack give us the foundation to accelerate toward safer, smarter aircraft systems and modernize how aviation interfaces with the world’s airspace.”
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