A Japanese startup known for developing hover bikes inspired by ¡°Star Wars¡± has filed for bankruptcy with ?1.17 billion of debt, according to a report by credit research firm Tokyo Shoko Research.

Tokyo-based A.L.I. Technologies had aimed to play a key role in an expected ¡°air mobility society¡± and raised its profile with its drones, artificial intelligence and flying bikes, but apparently struggled to secure the necessary cash to maintain its business.

Last week, bankruptcy proceedings against A.L.I. Technologies began at the Tokyo District Court, with the startup having filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 27, the Tokyo Shoko Research report said.

A.L.I. Technologies was founded by University of Tokyo students studying aerospace in 2016 and provided drones and drone solutions for infrastructure firms.

In October 2021, the firm began accepting orders globally for Xturismo, a flying bike model that had a limited stock of 200 units. It was priced at ?77.7 million and was first delivered in December 2022.

The six-propeller bike is capable of hovering some 3 meters above ground and can fly at a speed of up to around 80 to 100 kilometers per hour.

The futuristic mobility machine has constantly garnered attention in the past several years.

For instance, the startup collaborated with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team in the first home game of the season in March 2022, in which manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo entered the stadium on the bike.

Investors apparently had lofty expectations for the potential of flying bikes, as A.L.I. Technologies had raised ?2.31 billion in equity funding in November 2019, quite a large figure for a Japanese startup.

However, the company suffered from high development costs and its losses were growing. It logged a loss of ?1.37 billion in 2020, and the figure swelled to ?1.94 billion in 2022, according to the Tokyo Shoko Research report.

In those years, the firm was able to procure cash through COVID-related loans and from venture capital firms, but was eventually unable to secure enough to keep itself afloat, the report added.