BluJ Aero, an aviation start-up, has raised $2.25 million in seed funding to develop a hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology for regional transportation. The funding round is led by Endiya Partners and Ideaspring Capital, with participation from Rainmatter Foundation.
BluJ’s vision is to make aviation simpler and sustainable through long-range vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, powered by sustainable energy sources. BluJ aims to reduce the travel time between destinations by at least three times compared to the fastest alternatives today.
“We’re thrilled to have secured the seed funding and are excited to partner with Endiya, Ideaspring, and Rainmatter Foundation on our journey to revolutionise regional air transportation. We aim to achieve cost-efficiency and sustainability through vertical integration on all the key technologies involved,” said Maruthi Amardeep Sri Vatsavaya, Co-founder & CEO of BluJ.
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This round of funding will help BluJ accelerate the development of its first commercial product - a fully autonomous cargo e-VTOL aircraft, with a payload of over 100 kg and long-range capability, thanks to its hydrogen-electric propulsion. BluJ will further expand hiring, build its state-of-the-art facilities, and establish the testing infrastructure required to move toward certification, said the company.
“As technologists, we are excited about the potential of our e-VTOL aircraft, powered by a hydrogen-electric propulsion system. This breakthrough technology offers a faster, greener, and more sustainable solution to existing air transport options, and has the potential to provide versatile capabilities to our defence forces,” said Utham Kumar Dharmapuri, Co-founder & CTO of BluJ.