French hydrogen aviation startup Beyond Aero has closed a €20 million Series A funding round co-led by VC firm Giant Ventures and public investment bank Bpifrance.
The investment is being channeled through the Deeptech 2030 fund, which operates under the umbrella of the “France 2030” initiative. This is a French government project that aims to channel hundreds of millions of euros to support the country’s technology startup ecosystem.
Toulouse-based Beyond Aero, which went through Silicon Valley’s renowned Y Combinator startup incubator program, is developing a hydrogen powered business aircraft capable of carrying six to eight passengers over distances of up to 800 nautical miles.
The startup is currently developing its own hydrogen fuel cell technology and has recently invested in a state-of-the-art hydrogen propulsion lab where it intends to research, build and test its powertrain prototypes.
In February 2024, Beyond Aero completed the first hydrogen-powered flight to take place in France by using a two-seater light aircraft specially retrofitted with one of the firm’s hydrogen-electric powertrains.
The additional funds secured in the successful Series A funding round brings the total raised by Beyond Aero to €44 million. So far, the French startup has racked up 108 pre-orders, with a combined worth of nearly €1 billion.