Beta Technologies, the Vermont-based electric aircraft maker, made a strong Wall Street debut on Tuesday, with shares closing nearly 6% higher at $36 after listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BETA.”
The company had priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $34 per share on Monday, above its expected range of $27 to $33, selling 29.9 million shares and raising more than $1 billion. The deal values Beta at approximately $7.4 billion, marking one of the largest U.S. debuts in the emerging electric aviation sector.
The IPO represents a critical moment for the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry, a field racing to revolutionize short-distance air travel with cleaner, quieter aircraft designed to ease congestion and lower emissions.
The sector is currently led by Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, both of which are awaiting full certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin commercial operations. Beta’s entry into the public markets will be closely watched as a litmus test of investor confidence in the young industry, which is still years away from widespread adoption.
Beta’s founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, a former engineer and pilot, told CNBC on Tuesday that the company is “already conducting certain back-end missions for the U.S. military” and expects to achieve full FAA certification within about 30 months. He added that Beta chose to move forward with its IPO despite the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which has left the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) operating with limited staff.
Clark said the company had to demonstrate production success, operational capability, and a growing pipeline of back orders, because those are the fundamental business reasons to walk into the public markets — not timing.
Founded in 2017, Beta builds both electric aircraft and charging infrastructure. In its IPO prospectus, the company identified Archer Aviation as one of its customers for ground support equipment, particularly its charging systems. Beta says its chargers are now installed across 51 U.S. locations, forming part of what could become a nationwide electric aviation network.
However, despite its technological promise, Beta remains far from profitability. In the first half of 2025, its net loss widened to $183.2 million, compared with $137.1 million in the same period a year earlier. However, revenue more than doubled to $15.6 million from $7.6 million, reflecting early growth in its commercial and military contracts.
The company has attracted heavyweight backers. Amazon holds a 10.2% stake, while General Electric (GE) owns 6.3%. GE Aerospace announced in September that it would invest $300 million in Beta to advance electric propulsion systems. Amazon first invested in 2021 through its Climate Pledge Fund, part of the e-commerce giant’s broader effort to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.
The excitement around Beta’s debut contrasts sharply with market reactions among its peers. Shares of Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation both fell sharply on Tuesday — 9% and 6%, respectively — as investors recalibrated valuations in the competitive eVTOL space. Both companies, however, have tripled in value over the past year, driven by optimism over the future of electric flight.
However, the IPO marks both a financial milestone and a public test of confidence in Beta’s vision. While the road to commercial air taxi operations remains long, the successful offering suggests growing investor belief that the electric aviation industry, once dismissed as futuristic, may finally be ready to take off.
