Fresh investment to fund Electra’s EL9 through certification phase
April 22, 2025
Electra Aero has successfully closed a $115 million Series B funding round, with the new investment to support the pre-production and certification of its blown-lift, hybrid-electric EL9 aircraft.
The funding round was led by investment firm Prysm Capital, with co-founder and managing partner Jay Park now joining Electra’s board of directors. Other strategic investors include Lockheed Martin Ventures, Honeywell and Safran, along with other private individuals.
“We are delighted to welcome Jay and Prysm to the Electra family,” commented Electra board chair John Langford. “They’ve already become and indispensable partner and advisor as we transition from prototype to product with the EL9”.
Able to take off and land in around 150ft, Electra’s clean-sheet EL9 Ultra Short aircraft integrates blown lift aerodynamics with hybrid-electric propulsion, with eight electric motors placed along the leading edges of the fixed wings. A turbogenerator charges battery packs in-flight, thereby eliminating the need for ground charging infrastructure.
These capabilities, explain Electra, will enable air operators to “connect communities that lack aviation infrastructure, fly into airports with strict noise restrictions, create new opportunities and business models for cargo services, and save travellers significant time and hassle”. Defence applications are also under consideration, leveraging the aircraft’s low thermal and acoustic signature, as well as ability to operate from austere locations. As such, the US Army has previously pledged a $1.9 million grant in April 2024 to support wind tunnel testing.
Pre-orders of the EL9 reached 2,200 units last month, with Electra stating at the time that a piloted production variant was hoped to enter service as soon as 2028.
