Heart Aerospace
{{short description|Swedish startup company developing electric aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Heart Aerospace
| logo = Heart Aerospace logo.svg
| image_caption =
| type = Private
| industry = Aircraft manufacturing
| founded = {{start date and age|2019}}
| founder = {{Unbulleted list|Anders Forslund|Klara Forslund}}
| hq_location = Gothenburg, Sweden
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list
| Anders Forslund (CEO)
| Simon Newitt (President & CCO)
| Klara Forslund (CBO)
| John S. Slattery (Chair)
}}
| num_employees = 130
| num_employees_year = 2022
| website = {{URL|heartaerospace.com}}
}}
Heart Aerospace is a Swedish aerospace manufacturer based in Gothenburg. It is developing a 30-seat hybrid-electric powered regional airliner.
Company overview
Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Heart Aerospace maintains a research and development facility in Los Angeles, California, United States.{{Cite web |last=Alcock |first=Charles • Managing |title=Heart Sets Up U.S. R&D Hub for ES-30 Hybrid-electric Regional Airliner {{!}} AIN |url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-05-17/heart-sets-us-rd-hub-es-30-hybrid-electric-regional-airliner |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=Aviation International News}} Founded in 2019 by Anders and Klara Forslund, the company employed approximately 100 individuals as of 2024.{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=19 March 2019 |title=The top 10 startups from Y Combinator W19 Demo Day 1 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/19/best-of-y-combinator/ |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}
Product
Heart Aerospace is developing the ES-30, a 30-seat hybrid-electric powered regional airliner, designed for enhanced sustainability and efficiency on short-haul routes.
The ES-30 is projected to have an electric-only range of {{Convert|200|km|nmi|-1|abbr=off}} and a hybrid-electric range of {{Convert|400|km|abbr=on|nmi|-1|}}, significantly reducing CO2 emissions compared to conventional aircraft on similar routes. With a reduced passenger load of 25, a range of {{Convert|800|km|nmi|-1|abbr=on}} may be achievable.{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Dominic |date=2024-05-15 |title=Heart reveals ES-30 redesign as it switches to off-the-shelf hybrid powertrain |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/heart-reveals-es-30-redesign-as-it-switches-to-off-the-shelf-hybrid-powertrain/158291.article |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=Flight Global |language=en}}
The company aims to achieve type certification for the ES-30 by the end of the 2020s. In 2024, Heart Aerospace unveiled its first full-scale demonstrator aircraft, the Heart X1 (Heart Experimental 1). The X1's maiden flight, powered solely by electricity, is anticipated in the second quarter of 2025.{{Cite web |title=Heart Aerospace Plans To Use The X1 As An ES-30 Development Tool {{!}} Aviation Week Network |url=https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/aircraft-propulsion/heart-aerospace-plans-use-x1-es-30-development-tool |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=aviationweek.com}}
Following the X1 program, Heart Aerospace plans to construct a pre-production prototype, the Heart X2. The X2 will incorporate design refinements based on the X1's operational experience and will feature the company’s hybrid propulsion system, which is slated for a hybrid-electric flight demonstration in 2026.
=Order summary=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| data-sort-type="date" | Date
! Customer !Orders !Options !Notes |
|---|
| 13 July 2021
| style="text-align:center" |100 | style="text-align:center" |50 | Originally ordered ES-19, later reconfirmed for ES-30{{Cite press release |date=13 July 2021 |title=Heart Aerospace is one step closer to building an electric plane, closing $35M Series A round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, United Airlines and Mesa Air Group |url=https://heartaerospace.com/newsroom/heart-aerospace-is-one-step-closer-to-building-an-electric-plane-closing-35m-series-a-round-led-by-breakthrough-energy-ventures-united-airlines-and-mesa-air-group/ |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=Heart Aerospace |language=en-US}} |
| 13 July 2021
| style="text-align:center" |100 | style="text-align:center" |50 |
| 15 September 2022
| style="text-align:center" |30 | style="text-align:center" |– |
| 10 May 2023
| Rockton | style="text-align:center" |20 | style="text-align:center" |20 |
| colspan="2" | Totals
! 250 ! 120 ! |
The company also has letters of intent (non-firm orders) for a further 191 airplanes from Braathens Regional Airlines, Loganair, Icelandair, JSX, Scandinavian Airlines, Sounds Air, and Sevenair Air Services.{{Cite press release |date=September 12, 2024 |title=AirAsia Joins Heart Aerospace’s Industry Advisory Board to Shape the Future of Air Travel |url=https://heartaerospace.com/newsroom/airasia-joins-heart-aerospaces-industry-advisory-board-to-shape-the-future-of-air-travel/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Heart Aerospace |language=en-US}}
History
Heart Aerospace was established in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2019 by Anders and Klara Forslund.{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=19 March 2019 |title=The top 10 startups from Y Combinator W19 Demo Day 1 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/19/best-of-y-combinator/ |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}
The company secured $35 million in Series A funding in 2021, led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, United Airlines Ventures, and Mesa Air Group, with participation from existing seed investors EQT Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital.{{Cite web |last=Alamalhodaei |first=Aria |date=13 July 2021 |title=Heart Aerospace raises $35M Series A, lands order with United and Mesa Airlines for 200 aircraft |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/13/heart-aerospace-raises-35m-series-a-lands-order-with-united-and-mesa-airlines-for-200-aircraft/ |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}
In September 2022, Air Canada and Saab each invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace. Concurrently, Air Canada placed a purchase order for 30 ES-30 aircraft.
During 2024, Heart Aerospace raised a total of $107 million in Series B funding, increasing its total capital raised to $145 million. New investors included Sagitta Ventures, a Danish early-stage investment firm. Returning investors included Air Canada, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the European Innovation Council Fund, EQT Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Norrsken VC, United Airlines, and Y Combinator.{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Dominic |date=2022-09-15 |title=Sweden’s Heart Aerospace scales up to develop 30-seat hybrid-electric ES-30 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/swedens-heart-aerospace-scales-up-to-develop-30-seat-hybrid-electric-es-30/150213.article |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=Flight Global |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Billing |first=Mimi |date=1 February 2024 |title=Bill Gates-backed electric plane startup Heart Aerospace flies high with $107m raise |url=https://sifted.eu/articles/bill-gates-heart-aerospace-107m-news |website=sifted.eu}}
In May 2024, Heart Aerospace announced the establishment of a new research and development hub in the United States.{{Cite web |date=17 May 2024 |title=Heart Aerospace expands with new US R&D hub and CTO appointment |url=https://www.techarenan.news/2024/05/17/heart-aerospace-expands-with-new-us-r-and-d-hub-and-cto-appointment/ |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=www.techarenan.news |language=sv}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.heartaerospace.com/}}
Category:Aerospace companies of Sweden
Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Sweden