Kittyhawk, a self-driving car taxi company developed by billionaire Jeff Page

A statement on its We have decided to wind down Kittyhawk. We're still working on the details of what's going to happen next, the company wrote in a brief statement shared on its LinkedIn and Twitter pages. Kittyhawk did not respond immediately to a request for further comment.

Kittyhawk has a mission to build affordable, eco-conscious air taxis, as well as affordable and eco-conscious air taxis, according to its website. It was founded by Sebastian Thrun, a former Google executive who led the company's self-driving car efforts.

The startup did not launch its first aircraft until 2017 when it unveiled its first aircraft, an ultralight electric plane dubbed Flyer, designed to fly over water. One of the world's richest men, Page, said he had invested $100 million in flying car startups, including Kittyhawk.

Flyer was retired in 2020 after more than 25,000 successful test flights, according to the company, and it has reportedly laid off many of those who had been working on Flyer at the time. The company has also launched other electric aircraft prototypes and announced a partnership with Boeing in 2019.

The joint venture with Boeing, which has been called Wisk, will not be affected by the shuttering of Kittyhawk. In a tweet, Wisk said that it remains in a strong financial position, with both Boeing and Kittyhawk as investors. Like Kittyhawk, Wisk is developing an all-electric, self-flying air taxi that rises like a helicopter and flies like a plane, according to its website. The aircraft will allow you to land where you need to be, according to the company.