ZeroAvia
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Sustainable technologies |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Valery Miftakhov |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom, United States |
Key people | Valery Miftakhov (CEO) |
| Products | Hydrogen-electric propulsion systems for aircraft |
ZeroAvia is a UK-US company specializing in the development of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems for aircraft, established in 2017 under the leadership of CEO Valery Miftakhov. The enterprise concentrates on creating hydrogen-powered powertrains for propeller-driven airplanes, aiming to achieve zero emissions and minimize noise pollution. ZeroAvia plans to bring its products to market by 2023, initially offering flights on aircraft accommodating up to 20 passengers, with ambitions to expand both range and seating capacity to 80 by 2026.
Piper PA-46
In 2019, ZeroAvia successfully conducted flight testing of its first powertrain concept by integrating an external hydrogen storage unit onto a Piper Matrix. The following year, the company moved operations to Cranfield, England, where it installed the ZA250 hydrogen-electric powertrain into a six-seat Piper Malibu and completed an inaugural eight-minute flight in September. This event represented the first commercial-scale flight powered by hydrogen-electric technology. In December 2020, ZeroAvia obtained £12.3 million through the UK Government's ATI Programme to advance development of a 19-seat hydrogen aircraft capable of flying up to by 2023.
March 2021 marked the commencement of work on a 2 MW hydrogen-electric powertrain designed for full-size regional planes. The subsequent month, ZeroAvia unveiled the HyFlyer II initiative at Cotswold Airport. On April 29, 2021, during a test sortie from Cranfield, the company's hydrogen-powered Piper PA-46-350P demonstrator experienced a crash. Although no serious injuries occurred, the airplane suffered considerable damage after losing its left wing during an off-runway landing. Investigation findings indicated that disconnecting the battery to evaluate fuel cell function caused an overvoltage condition from the propeller motor, which led to an inverter safety shutdown. In response, ZeroAvia reinforced its safety protocols and organizational culture.
Dornier 228
ZeroAvia expanded its fleet in June 2021 by acquiring two Dornier 228 aircraft for use in its 19-seat HyFlyer program. By August of that year, the company had completed initial high-power testing of the ZA-600 hydrogen engine, including ground runs with a 600 kW powertrain mounted on a 15-ton HyperTruck platform. These tests support the HyFlyer II project aimed at developing hydrogen-electric propulsion for aircraft seating between 10 and 20 passengers, with flight trials expected at the Kemble site later in 2021.
In 2022, ZeroAvia entered partnerships with Otto Aviation to create a hydrogen variant of the Otto Celera 500L and collaborated with Textron Aviation on developing a hydrogen-electric powertrain for the Cessna Grand Caravan.
On January 19, 2023, ZeroAvia conducted a ten-minute flight using its Dornier 228 test platform equipped with one conventional TPE331 turboprop and one prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain featuring dual fuel cell units alongside a lithium-ion battery. The organization targets certification for this setup by 2025. Planned testing includes between ten and twenty flights aimed at establishing a commercial-ready system for aircraft carrying 10 to 20 passengers.
DHC-8
In October 2021, ZeroAvia announced a partnership with Alaska Airlines to develop the ZA-2000 hydrogen-electric propulsion system capable of delivering between 2,000 kW and 5,000 kW. This powertrain is intended to power regional aircraft with seating for approximately 76 passengers and achieve ranges exceeding .
By December that year, ZeroAvia had formed an agreement with De Havilland Canada to offer the ZA-2000 as both a factory-installed option on new DHC-8 models and as an approved retrofit solution for existing planes.
In May 2023, Alaska Airlines contributed a DHC-8 Q400 airframe to ZeroAvia for use as a dedicated testbed for hydrogen-electric propulsion development.
2020
On 16 December 2020, ZeroAvia successfully secured $21.4 million in a Series A funding round, spearheaded by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Ecosystem Integrity Fund. The round also saw continued support from existing backers such as Summa Equity, Royal Dutch Shell’s venture division, Ihar Mahaniok, Horizons Ventures, and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. Simultaneously, the company was awarded a grant totaling $16.3 million from the UK's Aerospace Technology Institute, Innovate UK, and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
2021
By 31 March 2021, ZeroAvia completed a follow-up Series A financing round amounting to $24.3 million. This round was led by Horizons Ventures and included participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Royal Dutch Shell, Summa Equity, SYSTEMIQ, along with newcomer British Airways.
On 29 June 2021, an additional $13 million was raised from six existing investors—Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Climate Pledge Fund, Horizons Ventures, Royal Dutch Shell, Summa Equity, SYSTEMIQ—and four new contributors: SGH Capital, AP Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and Agartha Fund LP.
Later in the year, on 13 December 2021, ZeroAvia secured $35 million in Series B funding. This round introduced new investors United Airlines Ventures and Alaska Air Group alongside returning supporters AP Ventures, Horizons Ventures, Royal Dutch Shell, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Summa Equity, and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund.
2023
In September 2023, ZeroAvia announced a new financing round led by Airbus. Airbus will also partner with ZeroAvia on certification processes and technical developments including fueling procedures and fuel-cell evaluation. Other investors involved were Neom Investment Fund, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, Alaska Airlines, Horizons Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Ecosystem Integrity Fund.
Additionally, ZeroAvia entered into a memorandum of understanding with Verne to explore the use of cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH₂) for its aircraft. This form of hydrogen boasts an energy density approximately 40% greater than liquid hydrogen and three times that of conventional gaseous hydrogen at 350 bar pressure. According to Verne, cryo-compressed hydrogen technology could lower costs related to densification and refueling duration while extending storage life and potentially removing the need for pressure management systems.