H55, a start-up company based on the Energypolis campus and supported by The Ark Foundation, has just announced a capital increase of CHF 20 million. This amount was raised by its shareholders and with the help of new investors based in Switzerland and in Silicon Valley.
This funding also includes funding received by the canton of Valais. This significant amount will enable H55 to finalize the certification of its electric propulsion system.
"This is another key milestone in making H55 a leading player in the transformation toward sustainable solutions for the aviation industry. Our first step is to make electric aircrafts for pilot training. Then, we plan to develop more complex propulsion systems for four- to six-seat aircrafts, followed by regional transport aircrafts and VTOLs. Through future partnerships with major players in the electric aviation industry, H55 will enable them to bring certified electric planes to the market faster," explains André Borschberg, co-founder and president of H55.
A Solar Impulse spin-off
H55 is a spin-off from Solar Impulse, the first electric plane to have flown across the world. The company based in the canton of Valais was created in 2017 and develops certified electric propulsion and battery management solutions for sustainable aviation.
The company focuses on the entire propulsion chain, from the management of energy sources to electric motors, integrating all control and communication interfaces to the pilot. H55 has a modular and certifiable battery system that can be used for all new electric aircraft concepts and designs.