Team Startupcity

• Green Aero, an IIT-Delhi incubated startup, raises $1.6M in seed funding from pi Ventures and Antler to develop high-efficiency propulsion systems for defence and hydrogen-powered aviation.
• Founded by former NASA researcher Prithwish Kundu, the startup aims to make India self-reliant in aerospace with engines twice as efficient as global counterparts.
• Successfully test-fired 'The Blue Dragon', India’s first hydrogen-based aero engine core, marking a breakthrough in clean aviation and indigenous defence tech.

Green Aero, a deeptech start-up incubated at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, has raised $1.6 million in a seed funding round from pi Ventures with Antler, an early-stage venture capital firm, participating.

The funding will be utilized by the start-up to establish high-end propulsion systems for both defence and hydrogen-powered civil aviation, a sector where India has historically relied on imports.

Established in late 2023 by Prithwish Kundu, an erstwhile research scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, Green Aero is on a grand mission to make India independent in aerospace propulsion. Kundu, who has worked with NASA and the U.S. Army in the past, stated that the startup aims to provide propulsion systems with double the efficiency of the existing models across the globe.

"India has traditionally been behind in aerospace innovation, but that is rapidly changing," stated pi Ventures' managing director Shubham Sandeep. "Green Aero is making world-class aero engines from scratch in India with laser-like focus on performance and efficiency".

The startup recently claimed a milestone by test-firing The Blue Dragon, which it says is India’s first hydrogen-based aero engine core. The breakthrough, if scaled, could position Green Aero at the forefront of next-generation clean aviation.

India has traditionally depended on foreign-sourced turbine engines for high-performance drones, aircraft, and naval ships. Green Aero aims to address this strategic deficit by building proprietary propulsion platforms for aerospace and sea-going applications, as well as green hydrogen-based solutions for civilian aircraft. The long-term vision of the startup is to commercialize zero-emission engines that can power future hydrogen aircraft.

In the near future, the startup intends to introduce its first small-category engine platform within 12 months, while setting the stage for more massive, high-thrust engines appropriate for supersonic flight.

The funding round is a turning point for India's young aerospace startup ecosystem. The funds will go towards building an in-house test facility, ramping up R&D, and hiring engineering and operations teams. It is also gearing up for commercial pilots in partnership with defence and aviation partners.