A new aerospace startup has a bold mission: autonomous flights, without producing any carbon emissions. But, is it possible?
What’s happening:
- South African aerospace startup Cloudline has raised $6M USD in a seed round led by Schmidt Futures, the philanthropic venture fund of former Google boss Eric Schmidt
- The round also included other notable backers such as Raba Partnership, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures and more
The big idea:
- Each Cloudline airship is designed to be a cost efficient alternative to drones or helicopters, aiming to provide new ways to deliver goods to remote geographic locations
- Cloudline airships are powered by helium gas to lift off and then use battery and solar propulsion to be able to fly autonomously without producing any carbon emissions
Going deeper:
- While Cloudline is currently being used for delivering items and payloads, they have also partnered with government institutions for aerial monitoring and data overlay
- Cloudline has already earned regulatory approval in South Africa and is actively looking to expand into other regions in Africa and beyond
By the numbers:
- Each Cloudline airship has a range of 200 kilometres and a total endurance of 12 hours
- 100 kilograms of weight is the maximum payload that Cloudline can transport
