The Latest from the Sustainable Aero Lab
Never miss an update:
Sign up for our free newsletter here.
2024 Sustainable Aero Festival comes to a fantastic close!
Get ready for an exclusive two-day experience where the cutting edge of aviation innovation takes center stage. Join us for a unique and exclusive event in Amsterdam on December 2nd and 3rd, 2024, where we bring together aviation’s leading innovators: top industry executives, investors, and the most dynamic startups from around the globe. And we’d love for you to be a part of it!
Sustainable Aero Lab launches Net-Zero Airline Ranking
After months of dedicated research and analysis, we're excited to unveil the grand finale of our Net-Zero Aviation content series with the launch of the Net-Zero Airline Ranking!
The Net-Zero Airline Ranking evaluates the genuine commitment of the world’s 20 largest airline groups to achieving a net-zero aviation future across five key metrics.
Introducing Our Mentorship Program for Energy Startups
Today, we are introducing a second stream to the Sustainable Aero Lab: Sustainable Energy. It is now open to emerging companies in the fields of
-Renewable Energy
-New Mobility
-Energy Efficiency
Apply as a startup HERE.
News from our Graduates: Dovetail Electric Aviation partners with CRISALION
With this partnership, Dovetail will supply prototype battery modules for initial functional and integration testing while evaluating Crisalion's battery technology. Upon certification by the FAA, EASA, and CASA, Dovetail will provide its battery systems to Crisalion.
Sustainable Aero Lab’s next in-person session at ZAL on September 19th, 2024
Our next in-person Lab session will be hosted at ZAL TechCenter in Hamburg, Germany.
We are gathering mentors, startups and industry experts from all over the world, to tackle once again sustainable aviation’s most pressing topics.
Have a look at our exclusive Lab Session hosted in Silicon Valley on June 27th.
This time we brought together 10 sustainable aviation startups with accomplished mentors from renowned players like Breakthrough Energy , Honeywell Ventures, Embraer-X, Eviation Aircraft , Ampaire, GE Aerospace, JetBlue Ventures, and many more!
Nico Buchholz joins Moonware’s Advisory Board
Our mentor Nico Buchholz has more than 30 years of international experience in the airline and aerospace industries.
He is now joining Moonware one of our startups graduate as an Advisory Board member and will support their journey towards developing a software and hardware ecosystem to automate airport ground operations
Sustainable Aero Lab Alum Vaeridion collaborates with Aero-Dienst
Our graduate Vaeridion envisions clean and affordable air mobility with electric aircraft projects.
Together with Aero-Dienst, they will develop a battery-electric eCTOL concept for air ambulance service and aircraft maintenance.
Sustainable Aero Lab hosted its first Lab Session in the US!
We hosted our first Lab session with startups and mentors in the US - in the heart of Silicon Valley, at Stanford University!
10 active startups & more than a dozen mentors from all over the world joined the event! More than 80 participants from numerous renowned investment companies, students, and several founders from graduated startups from our community joined the event.
From Talk to Action: Airline Climate Funds Driving Net-Zero Technologies.
Standard measures like fleet renewals, optimizing operational efficiencies & accelerating SAF adoption fall short of fully addressing our industry’s carbon crisis.
Our latest edition of the Net-Zero Aviation series delves into this crucial question, shedding light on the airline leaders committing to real innovation dollars.
Dovetail is a startup pioneering disruptive electric aviation concepts in battery & hydrogen powerplants.
This cooperation aims to support Dovetail’s development roadmap on the mission to bring electric aviation to market by 2026.
The investment is co-led by Third Prime and Zero Infinity Partners, with participation from The House Found, Lorimer Ventures & strategic partners.
Sustainable Aero Lab graduate Moonware joined forces with International Airlines Group (IAG)!
Moonware is developing a smart autonomous ecosystem for ground operations at airports.
The collaboration with IAG introduces Moonware’s flagship product HALO, a Ground Traffic Control’s platform, at John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 8.
Dovetail is a startup working in electric aviation with groundbreaking concepts in both battery and hydrogen powerplants. With Aciturri‘s commitment to acquire a stake in Dovetail, it becomes a strategic partner with a shared aim to support the development of sustainable aviation solutions.
Sustainable Aero Lab partners with Embraer-X!
Sustainable Aero Lab is honored to announce an official partnership with Embraer-X, an Embraer incubator and market accelerator specialized in disruptive innovation, always connected and in partnership with the global innovation ecosystem. The company will join the Lab as an official partner, engaging in the initiative’s renowned mentorship program.
New Net-Zero Aviation series: Introducing Metric #3: SAF Offtake Agreements!
As electric & hydrogen alternatives are on the horizon, SAF is vital. Despite limited availability, Offtake Agreements show dedication to cleaner operations, securing SAF volumes.
Our mentor, Nicholas Burgwin, noticed a lack of easily accessible information about the SAF landscape. This led Nick to gather and validate publicly available data on global SAF production capacity, SAF companies etc.
Event was organized by UpLink - World Economic Forum , the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum.
Additionally, at the event our co-founder Lukas Kaestner and Venture Manager Mario Vesco participated as jury members.
News from the Community Startup: FlyORO secured $1.6M in the pre-series A round!
FlyORO, a Singapore-based startup working in the SAF field, got the investment from Audacy Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to catalyzing and scaling technology solutions driving the energy transition.
Following our analysis of actual SAF contributions, we're now introducing a second pragmatic metric to rank airlines on their net-zero journey: the average fleet age.
Check out more in the link above.
TUM Venture Labs and Sustainable Aero Lab Launch Official Cooperation
TUM Venture Labs, a joint initiative of Technical University of Munich and UnternehmerTUM & Sustainable Aero Lab will join forces in supporting start-ups working on the future of flight. Both players will further align their activities around young companies working on sustainable products or services in the aviation field.
Sustainable Aero Lab’s in-Person Lab Session in Hamburg!
Empowered by dynamic discussions, the mentorship spirit, and engaging sustainable aviation startups, we successfully concluded our last Lab Session in 2023!
Reflect on the inspiring energy that fueled our day more precisely in the link above.
Sustainable Aero Lab startup VÆRIDION signed a Pre-Application Contract with EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
“Securing commercial IFR certification is fundamental for the scheduled all-weather operation of our battery-electric regional aircraft.” - says Vaeridion’s CTO Sebastian Seemann.
The aviation industry is in a carbon crisis. This challenge is compounded by a disconnect between perceived sustainability efforts and actual, impactful progress – a theme we explored in our previous edition.
The cooperation is set to deliver zero-emission conversions to the regional airline market. Under the agreement, Air Nostrum has committed to purchasing 10 retrofits of battery and hydrogen electric aircraft to be converted by Dovetail.
Dive deep into the industry's greenwashing tactics and the urgent need for real change. To get into a handful of key charts, citing data that is overlooked by airline CEOs & industry figureheads follow the link above.
This partnership is a vital step toward making breakthroughs in battery technology for #eCTOL aircraft.
Contrails are responsible for 1-2% of global warming. Yet, it is possible to cut most of this impact at near-zero cost.
This collaboration will introduce the innovative Microliner aircraft to reduce emissions and increase connectivity.
Sustainable Aero Lab Startup: VÆRIDION signed a cooperation agreement with ASL Group!
The cooperation is intended to create synergies between the manufacturer and possible future operator of battery-electric microliners.
Sustainable Aero Lab alumni - Moonware just closed a $2.5M Pre-Seed round!
Moonware, a California-based startup developing a cloud-based AI-powered software platform for fleet management, has successfully closed a $2.5 million pre-seed round led by early-stage VC firm Third Prime.
Sustainable Aero Lab startup VÆRIDION signed MoU with CUSTOMCELLS
Customcells is a company developing special high-performance Lithium-Ion batteries. They recently signed MoU with Vaeridion to cooperate on developing cylindrical cells that meet certification requirements for the application in eCTOL aircraft.
Experience the Lab Session at the Paris Air Show
We invite you to experience the spirit of our latest in-person Lab Session at the Paris Air Show!
We brought together seven startups from different sustainable aviation fields and a group of highly accomplished mentors from around the world at the National Air and Space Museum of France!
Our graduate Kite Magnetics joined forces with H3 Dynamics, a company of our mentor Taras Wankewycz.
The startup met with Taras at the Lab Session last year, and recently signed a partnership with his company, H3Dynamics, to revolutionize the aviation industry with hydrogen-electric propulsion systems!
Lab’s alumnus: Dovetail Electric Aviation signed a partnership with Hyundai Motor Company.
Hyundai’s fuel cell systems, developed by HTWO, will be integrated into Dovetail’s Iron Bird test aircraft - it will be the “prior step” to full-scale trials and Dovetail expects to operate a first test flight next year.
Sustainable Aero Lab’s in-person Lab Session in Paris.
Fuelled by the boundless collaborations, amazing spirit of the International Paris Air Show and thoughtful discussions at the Large Room, we concluded the last Lab Session of the 3rd Year at the National Air and Space Museum of France.
Mentors in the spotlight: Dive into our mentor’s knowledge with our new interview format!
During our last in-person Lab Session we caught up with some of our mentors to ask them a couple of questions & hear their insights on the future of the sustainable aviation and innovation processes. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best!
Sustainable Aero Lab announces the release of the latest study - Bridging the Gap to 2050
The latest whitepaper by Sustainable Aero Lab demonstrates why aviation is about to greatly miss its sustainability targets & which measures could be implemented to decarbonize air travel faster.
Lab’s alumnus Dovetail Electric Aviation secures major investment from Rex Airlines!
Dovetail celebrates the announcement of Regional Express’s (Rex) 20% stake in the company, further cementing the strategic partnership & converting its turboprop fleet to zero-emission propulsion.
Lab’s startups Smartflyer received a further growth boost through the entry of Invero.
For Smartflyer, Invero's involvement is a strong commitment to the electric aircraft concept: "The modular energy storage system can be changed from a hybrid to a battery-powered propulsion system in a few steps.", says CEO Rolf Stuber.
Lab’s startups, Gradel & Speeder Systems, signed a partnership to bring high-end technology to the drone industry!
Together with the navel, aviation and aerospace technology experts, Speeder & Gradel signed an MoU at the Amsterdam Drone Week to create the future of sustainable drones.
Sustainable Aero Lab will expand its activities thanks to support from Breakthrough Energy
With Breakthrough Energy’s support, we will be able to bring our mentorship program for aviation startups to the next level & engage further in strategic fields like international policy.
The Australian - based startup’s technology is more powerful than a typical small car but only weighs as much as a packed suitcase due to their unique new magnetic material Aeroperm™.
Sustainable Aero Lab’s first in-person Lab Session!
Sustainable Aero Lab made history with its first in-person Lab Session, which was a milestone in the journey towards sustainable aviation. 11 ventures and more than 60 participants were brought together to hare challenges & discuss objectives.
Sustainable Aero Lab startup Mobius.energy signed a strategic partnership with DUST Identity
After signing a partnership, Mobius.energy has become one step closer to helping electric aircraft manufacturers confidently and securely accelerate their transition to renewable energy sources
Sustainable Aero Lab startup -Dovetail has been awarded $3M research grant
The grant will enable Australian company to continue pioneering the effort in the development of electric aircraft, helping to reduce emissions & improve the sustainability of the regional aviation industry.
Sustainable Aero Lab startup - Dovetail gets strategic investors: Volotea & Air Nostrum
Spanish carriers Air Nostrum and Volotea have each acquired a minority stake in zero-emission conversion firm Dante Aeronautica - graduated startup from the Sustainable Aero Lab.
Sustainable Aero Lab startup - Kite Magnetics raised $1.85M in funding
Kite Magnetics is a company from Australia, producing a new generation of lighter (up to 50%) and more efficient electric motors. The company has raised $1.85 million seed funding and backing from the $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria fund.
Graduates Dovetail Electric Aviation & Mobius.Energy signed a strategic partnership
Mobius will supply its battery module to power a total of 65 aircraft in Dovetail’s backlog. Dovetail plans to bring converted battery electric commuters to market as fully certified aircraft by 2025, while Mobius will support Dovetail’s effort with a battery solution.
Market Analysis 2022: The State of The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Company Ecosystem
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) have become the hot topic in global aviation. A new market analysis by Sustainable Aero Lab shows the key players in the global ecosystem, as well as promising startups.
Stephan Uhrenbacher, co-founder of the Sustainable Aero Lab:
“Sustainable Aero Lab is less than 12 months old. In this time we saw a rapid growth of our own activities in mentoring startups. We are now firmly established with a global footprint. In 2021, the former "niche" topic of sustainable aviation received more attention than ever before...”
Study: Why the 2020s Will Be the Age of Zero-Emission Aviation Startups
With climate change progressing, the measures that are currently planned by the aviation industry will be not enough. A new study maps 40 promising startups, clustering sustainable aviation in four technological fields: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Electric Propulsion, Hydrogen, and the Digital Backbone.
Building the Future of Aviation: Sustainable Aero Lab Launches
New program brings together global founders, researchers, experienced entrepreneurs, industry professionals and investors – to build the future of aviation.
The aviation industry has historically been the most innovative when facing crises. While global air travel is still severely challenged by the COVID19 pandemic, another game-changing crisis can already be outlined today: In the next decades, the effects of climate change will dramatically influence aviation and its business models. At the same time, this development poses a great opportunity for the aviation industry to regain a revolutionary state of mind, unlocking new fields of technology, business and cooperation.
More news from our Alumni: VÆRIDION partners with GKN Aerospace!
Vaeridion is collaborating with GKN Aerospace to advance electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) technology for all-electric regional airliners.
GKN Aerospace will use Vaeridion's Microliner as a testbed at its Papendrecht facility in the Netherlands.