Detailed description (English): Founded in 2018 by Jean-Christophe Lambert, Thibault Baldivia, Clément Dinel and Benoît Ferran, Ascendance Flight Technologies is a start-up that has set itself the mission of decarbonizing aviation. Established in 2020 in the heart of Toulouse, the European aeronautics capital, it is developing two products: an innovative hybrid propulsion system called STERNA and a vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL) fitted with this technology, called ATEA.
STERNA is the hybrid propulsion technology which unlocks cleaner aviation. STERNA’s innovative electric architecture and embedded intelligence allow for simultaneous use of several energy sources. STERNA is modular and scalable, so it can accommodate a thermal module or new hydrogen solutions, helping drive energy transformation in the aviation industry. The company has filed several patents on these technologies.
ATEA is the future of regional aviation and will be the first aircraft equipped with STERNA. With a capacity of 4 to 5 seats, this vertical take-off and landing aircraft is designed as a low-carbon, quiet and efficient alternative to the helicopter and will be presented in partnership with ADP at the 2024 Olympics. With its 400-km endurance, a speed of at least 200 km/h, and reduced noise emissions, it perfectly addresses a regional & decentralized use in passenger transportation, tourism, medical emergencies, logistics and surveillance.
Detailed description (original language): Jean-Christophe possède un diplôme d’ingénieur de l’Université Technologique de Compiègne et un diplôme de Master en Business et Management de projet de HEC/ISAE Supaero. Il possède près de 15 ans d’expérience dans le domaine aérospatial et défense dont 9 passés chez Airbus où il a occupé des fonctions de business développement et responsable d'offres, responsable d'équipe et chef de cabinet avant d'entrer de s'investir pleinement dans le développement de l'aviation plus électrique. L’une de ses plus grandes réussites a été le succès de la traversée historique de la Manche par l’E-FAN 1.1 - l'un des premiers avions électriques au monde - en tant que chef de ce programme suite à quoi Jean-Christophe a été nommé responsable du programme E-FAN 2.0.
Depuis 2018, Jean-Christophe est cofondateur et CEO d'Ascendance qui développe les solutions et technologies permettant de réduire l'empreinte environnementale de l'Aviation. Il a reçu récemment le prix High Five Award décerné par le programme Européen Clean Sky récompensant 5 personnalités de l'aéronautique oeuvrant à rendre l'industrie plus durable.
Target group(s): Even if Atea, our eVTOL aircraft is for now a five-seater, it represents a proof of concept that hybridization works in aviation and has many benefits (fuel frugality and CO2 emissions reduction). The plan is to then produce bigger aircraft up to 60 people to address more and more people's needs for a decentralised and point to point aviation.
With Sterna, our hybrid electric propulsion system, has an even bigger impact on decarbonisation of aviation as we use it for our own eVTOL but also sell it to other aircraft manufacturers for them to hybridise their existing fleet and reduce their carbon footprint.
Objectives: Objectives:
1. To offer technologies to help reduce carbon emissions in aviation and make it more sustainble
2. Be a booster for the industry by offering our expertise in hybrydisation and make it make faster toward decarbonisation
3. Offer people a better regional mobility by developping point to point aviation and therefore reducing the unnecessary kilometers (aero hubs) and connecting remote places to other existing transport solutions such as train.
Partner: The French Government via its funding programm France 2030
French Tech 2030
The Occitanie Region
Our investors (we recently raised €34 million)
We've already signed 555 LOIs (letters of intention of pruchase) Worldwide
We have recently announced a key industrial partnership with Daher to help them hybridise one of their best-seller regional aircraft
France