Slovak entrepreneur funding rescue of German flying taxi startup [Video]

A Slovak entrepreneur is providing most of the funds to rescue a German flying taxi startup that came close to collapse last month, the firm’s new backers said Thursday.

Lilium had already filed for bankruptcy and was just hours from folding entirely on Christmas Eve when a consortium of investors swooped in to save it.

The consortium said a key figure is entrepreneur Marian Bocek, who runs holding company DTM Investment and founded Slovak battery manufacturer InoBat.

It is understood that Bocek, aged in his 40s, is providing more than 100 million euros ($103 million) in funding, out of more than 200 million euros from the consortium.

Germany’s Bild daily first revealed the investor’s identity.

A consortium spokesman said they now needed to find other partners and customers to launch production in earnest.

The group also …