Toulouse, France
Today, Beyond Aero, a pioneer in hydrogen-propelled electric aviation, announced a successful Series A funding round, securing an additional $20 million. Co-led by Giant Ventures and Bpifrance (the French Sovereign Fund) via its Deeptech 2030 fund), this round brings the company’s total capital raised to $44 million, inclusive of debt and grants. Other investors in this round include Initialized Capital, known for backing 27 unicorns, Airbnb and Dropbox founders Nate Blecharczyk and Arash Ferdowsi and several high-profile athletes.
Highlights
· $44M total capital raised, including equity, debt, and grants.
· $914M in Letters of Intent (LOIs) for 108 aircraft.
· 50 highly qualified engineers working at Beyond, with plans to recruit 40 more.
Beyond Aero was founded to meet the challenges of climate change and is developing the first hydrogen-powered electric business aircraft. The company is on a mission to make aviation electric, starting with business aviation. Business aviation is the most emissions-intensive segment per passenger, producing ten times more CO2 per person than commercial flights, and under growing scrutiny.
Beyond Aero has hit significant technical milestones in recent months, achieving France's first manned fully hydrogen-electric flight earlier this year and appointing Luiz Oliveira, former advisor on Embraer’s hybrid hydrogen program, as Chief Engineer. Beyond Aero has secured $914 million in Letters of Intent (LOIs) for 108 aircraft and earned multiple awards, including Brilliant Minds and the Sustainable Aviation Challenge by the World Economic Forum, joining the First Movers Coalition.
Giant Ventures, the leading purpose-driven fund, co-led the Series A round alongside Bpifrance through the “Deeptech 2030” fund, which is managed on behalf of France 2030, a key supporter of Beyond Aero since its inception.
“Eloa Guillotin is the most visionary leader in aerospace today. Her bold ambition to reshape aviation with electric, hydrogen-powered aircraft aligns perfectly with our mission to back purpose-driven founders solving the world’s biggest challenges.”
Jon Dishotsky, Partner at Giant Ventures
"We have formed a powerful alliance of investors from Europe and the U.S. Giant Ventures offers invaluable guidance, a client network, and a global perspective. Initialized Capital, having supported us since the Seed round, brings founder experience in scaling industry leaders. Bpifrance represents the solid national commitment of the France 2030 plan to clean energy innovation. With prominent public figures who share our vision, we are making aviation electric and achieving our global ambitions.”
Eloa Guillotin, Co-Founder and CEO of Beyond Aero
Initialized Capital, the fund behind 27 unicorns, including Coinbase, Cruise, and Instacart, reaffirmed its support. Beyond Aero has also attracted investment from high-profile public figures, including Olympic champion Nikola Karabatić and World Cup winner Raphael Varane through the venture capital fund Teampact Ventures, as well as tech leaders like Nate Blecharczyk, Co-Founder of Airbnb, and Arash Ferdowsi, Co-Founder of Dropbox.
"We led Beyond Aero's seed because we saw in Eloa both the determination and the skills to make hydrogen-powered business planes a reality, and there was no question that we would continue our support in their Series A. In the short time since our initial investment, the team has achieved milestones that would take years for anyone building in this space; this team will transform aviation and have incredible impacts on this industry's emissions."
Brett Gibson, Managing Partner at Initialized
Beyond Aero has already begun deploying $12 million to build the world’s most powerful integrated Hydrogen Electric Powertrain Lab. This state-of-the-art facility is designed to test all components of the hydrogen-electric propulsion system, from hydrogen tanks to fuel cells and electrical systems. The lab replicates one of the aircraft's two powerplants and will push the technology to TRL6 at 600+ kW power. It will focus on hydrogen refuelling, air supply, fuel cells, and integrated powertrain testing, marking a crucial milestone in advancing system design and safety verification.
Beyond Aero’s aircraft, One is designed to carry 6 to 8 passengers for 800 nautical miles and is expected to enter the market by 2030. Beyond Aero is redesigning the architecture of a CS23 aircraft from the ground up, optimizing it for hydrogen-electric propulsion. The aircraft will be powered by fuel cells, producing water as a byproduct and achieving a range five times greater than a battery-powered aircraft. Early adopters include high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and athletes. Corporate clients such as airlines, charter operators, and corporate flight departments have also shown strong interest, signalling the growing demand for hydrogen-powered electric aviation solutions.
About Beyond Aero
Beyond Aero is building the first electric business aircraft powered by hydrogen propulsion, enabling six passengers to fly up to 800 NM (1,500 km)—five times farther than a battery-powered aircraft. Founded in December 2020, the company is redesigning the architecture of a CS23 aircraft around hydrogen-electric propulsion, focusing on fuel cell technology, hydrogen tank integration, and advanced cooling systems. With offices in Toulouse, Paris, and Los Angeles, the startup boasts a team of over 50 highly qualified engineers from leading aerospace companies, actively recruiting 40 more.
Beyond Aero has secured over $44 million in funding, backed by investors such as Giant Ventures, Bpifrance, and prior supporters like Initialized Capital, Female Founders Found, and 7 Percent Ventures. Beyond Aero also completed Y Combinator in 2022. The company has secured $914 million in Letters of Intent (LOIs) for 108 aircraft and recently completed France's first manned, fully hydrogen-electric flight. Beyond Aero is a member of the World Economic Forum's First Movers Coalition and the Alliance for Zero Emission Aviation, underscoring its commitment to electrify aviation with hydrogen propulsion.
About Giant Ventures
Giant backs purpose-driven founders solving the world’s biggest challenges: from climate, to health, to inclusive capitalism. Led by former founders, Giant invests in companies from Pre-Seed to Series B in Europe and the US.
About Bpifrance
Bpifrance Investissement is the management company overseeing Bpifrance's equity investments. As France's national investment bank, Bpifrance finances businesses at all stages of development through loans, guarantees, equity investments, and export insurance, while also offering additional services such as training and consultancy to support entrepreneurs in meeting their challenges, including innovation and export.
About the France 2030 Investment Plan: With €54 billion in funding, the plan aims to transform key industries like healthcare, energy, automotive, and aeronautics through technological innovation, positioning France as a global leader. It is implemented collaboratively, involving economic, academic, and European stakeholders to address ecological and competitiveness challenges.
For more information, please visit: https://www.bpifrance.com/
