Richard Branson’s Virgin Group invests in Hyperloop One

The British entrepreneur says he wants to make 'airline speeds on the ground' a reality, while engineering experts cast doubt on the safety of the technology

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group has invested an undisclosed amount in Hyperloop One, the frontrunner of a number of companies competing to bring Elon Musk's futuristic vision of a magnetically-propelled high-speed transport system to life.

The investment, which makes up part of an $85m fundraising announced in September, will see Hyperloop One changing adding the Virgin name to its branding.