Heart Aerospace was founded in 2019 by Anders and Klara Forslund in Gothenburg, Sweden.[2] In 2024, the company maintained headquarters in Gothenberg and a research and development facility in California.[3] By 2025, the company had moved the headquarters and all operations to Los Angeles.[4][5]
History
Heart Aerospace was established in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2019 by Anders and Klara Forslund.[6]
In September 2022, Air Canada and Saab each invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace. Concurrently, Air Canada placed a purchase order for 30 ES-30 aircraft.
During 2024, Heart Aerospace raised a total of $107 million in Series B funding, increasing its total capital raised to $145 million. New investors included Sagitta Ventures, a Danish early-stage investment firm. Returning investors included Air Canada, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the European Innovation Council Fund, EQT Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Norrsken VC, United Airlines, and Y Combinator.[8][9]
In May 2024, Heart Aerospace announced the establishment of a new research and development hub in Los Angeles[10][3] and the Forslunds moved there to oversee operations.[11] In 2025 the company closed their Swedish operations and moved their headquarters to Los Angeles.[4][5]
Aircraft
Heart Aerospace founder and CEO Anders Forslund showcases a cutaway rendering of the ES-30 hybrid-electric regional aircraft and its propulsion system in 2024.Ground crew conducting a turnaround test of Heart Aerospace’s X1 prototype, loading baggage and preparing the aircraft for simulated flight in September 2024.
Heart Aerospace’s first design, the ES-19, was unveiled in 2020 following their participation in the 2019 Y Combinator's Winter Batch.[12] The ES‑19 was a 19‑seat, all‑electric regional aircraft concept designed for short-haul routes of approximately 400 kilometres (250mi).[13] In June 2022, the company changed their application to a heavier weight category and EASA CS-25 certification which would not require an exemption from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for being overweight.[14][15] This design was then superseded in September 2022 by the ES-30.[16][17]
The ES-30 is a 30-seat hybrid-electric powered regional airliner, designed for enhanced sustainability and efficiency on short-haul routes. It is projected to have an electric-only range of 200 kilometres (110 nautical miles) and a hybrid-electric range of 400km (220nmi), significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional aircraft on similar routes. With a reduced passenger load of 25, a range of 800km (430nmi) may be achievable.[18] Development of the ES 30 is partially funded by a $4.1 million FAST grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for the design of hybrid engine control systems.[19][20] The company aims to achieve type certification for the ES-30 by the end of the 2020s.[21]
In 2024, Heart Aerospace unveiled its first full-scale demonstrator aircraft, the Heart X1 (Heart Experimental 1). The X1's maiden flight, powered solely by electricity, is anticipated in the second quarter of 2025.[21]
Following the X1 program, Heart Aerospace plans to construct a pre-production prototype, the Heart X2. The X2 will incorporate design refinements based on the X1's operational experience and will feature the company’s hybrid propulsion system, which is slated for a hybrid-electric flight demonstration in 2026.[18][21]
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