Aura Aero scales up
Aura Aero is entering a new phase. Thanks to a new €50 million funding round, grants secured in France and Europe, and financial support from the State of Florida for its U.S. plant, Aura Aero has now brought its total funding to €340 million. With the building permit secured for its future factory in Toulouse and firm orders already placed for its ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft, the company is putting all the pieces in place for a transition to industrial-scale production.
This funding will enable Aura Aero to make significant progress on three priorities: the first flight of ERA, ramping up production of Integral, and expanding drone operations with Enbata, while establishing the industrial capabilities necessary for their mass production in France (Toulouse) and the US (Daytona Beach, Florida).
At the same time, the granting of the building permit for the future factory at Toulouse-Francazal Airport physically anchors this transformation. Industrialisation is also accelerating in the US, following the opening of a first site, a 16-hectare plot at Daytona Beach International Airport, ready to host ERA’s American factory, which will be funded with the support of Space Florida (Florida’s agency for economic development of the aerospace industry). Aura Aero is no longer just preparing its programs; it is building the means to produce them at scale.
“Aura Aero is taking things to the next level. Funding, firm orders, and manufacturing facilities are no longer just prospects, they are realities. With leading institutional and industrial partners, we are ready to accelerate and deliver a new generation of aircraft and drones,” said Antoine Blin, Chief of Staff at Aura Aero, who led the fundraising effort.
A solid foundation to support a long-term program
This transaction is backed by a high-profile funding round bringing together major industrial, institutional, and deep-tech players: the French Tech Souveraineté fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance, the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund), Safran Corporate Ventures, Blast, Innovacom, Florida Opportunity Fund, and EDF Group.
Beyond financing, this commitment gives Aura Aero the stability and credibility needed to establish itself as a long-term industrial player. It also brings to fruition a vision driven from the outset by the priorities of France 2030, supported by the President Emmanuel Macron: to foster the emergence in France of new industrial champions capable of accelerating the decarbonisation of aviation, driving the country’s reindustrialisation, and embodying, on a European scale, a new generation of industrial scale-ups.
This momentum will continue in terms of both equity and financing for the French plant, with the aim of ensuring the successful launch and industrialisation of its programs. Alongside the company, strategic, industrial, and institutional partners are not merely financing an ambition; they are supporting the foundations of an aerospace player poised to establish a lasting presence in the industrial landscape.
“We are building much more than just airplanes: we are building a new European industrial player. This milestone gives us the means to achieve our technological ambitions and, above all, to produce them at scale,” concludes Jérémy Caussade, president and cofounder of Aura Aero.
From roadmap to industrial production
The granting of the building permit for the new plant marks a significant turning point: Aura Aero is shifting from a program development approach to a structured industrial production model. This facility will support the ramp-up of aircraft production, the creation of skilled jobs, and the development of industrial capabilities critical to low-carbon aviation in Europe. At the same time, commercial traction, evidenced by firm orders, validates market demand and secures future volumes.
With this new phase, Aura Aero is aiming for three world firsts:
- the first flight of a hybrid-electric regional commercial transport aircraft, with ERA
- the first certification of a 100% electric aircraft in the CS-23 category, with Integral E
- the first flight of an ITAR-free MALE drone, with Enbata
This momentum builds on already strong commercial traction: with over 700 purchase intentions and 20 firm orders for ERA, Aura Aero has reached a decisive milestone. These market commitments not only validate the relevance of its programs, they also solidify the transition to industrial scale and provide the visibility needed to structure series production.
Cover photo: Aura Aero
