Ascendance Flight Technologies, a startup dedicated to sustainable aviation, has raised EUR21 million from a range of new investors.
According to a company press release:
“French Tech Souveraineté, operated by Bpifrance as part of the France 2030 plan, CELAD, Expansion Aerospace Ventures, SC Mahé, Adrien Montfort (CTO Sorare) via Snaw Ventures, and ARIS Occitanie have contributed to this funding round alongside historic investors Habert Dassault Finance, Céleste Management, IRDI, and M-Capital, which have made significant reinvestments on this occasion.
“The aim of this round is to enable the company to fulfill its ambitions: to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector by offering unique technologies. These new funds give Ascendance Flight Technologies the resources to fly its full-scale prototype, begin certification and scale-up actions for its first aircraft, and help its first clients and partners to reduce the carbon emissions of their aircraft thanks to the company’s hybrid technology.”
“This fundraising round is critical for sustainable aviation in France. It is a logical step forward in our roadmap for the industry’s energy transition. It will accelerate the technical and commercial development of our products while also contributing to our central aim: to build a sustainable model for cleaner air mobility. We are very proud to have brought together these renowned financial partners, whose quality and complementary nature will ensure that they can support the company through its upcoming development stages,” said Jean-Christophe Lambert, Co-founder & CEO of Ascendance Flight Technologies.
Ascendance is a manufacturer of both aircraft and engines and has chosen all-electric hybrid design, applicable to multiple long-range uses (passenger transport, medical, logistics and surveillance applications).
According to the company:
“ATEA, its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, is a quiet, low-carbon alternative to helicopters that provides an ideal response to the need for decentralized and regional point-to-point aviation. STERNA, its modular hybrid electric propulsion system, compatible with sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and hydrogen, will open up the possibility of a new generation of aircraft with a significantly reduced environmental footprint.
“Ascendance is now entering an intensive prototyping and scale-up phase with the recent delivery of its integration and test flight facilities at Muret L’Herm aerodrome near Toulouse. The company will continue with its roadmap with the aim of delivering its first aircraft in 2026. The coming years will bring major steps forward in its two priority development areas:
- Building the first flight-capable full-scale prototype of its ATEA aircraft and continuing with the aircraft certification process that is currently under way with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- Fulfilling its first contracts and partnership agreements to integrate STERNA, its patented modular hybrid propulsion system, into existing aircraft.
For more information
https://www.ascendance-ft.com/