![]() | |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Aerospace Engineering, Aviation |
Founded | 2019Gothenburg, Sweden | in
Founder |
|
Headquarters | Los Angeles, United States |
Key people | |
Number of employees | 130 (2022) |
Website | heartaerospace |
Heart Aerospace is an American aerospace manufacturer based in Los Angeles, California. It is developing a 30-seat hybrid-electric powered regional airliner.
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]
Heart Aerospace was established in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2019 by Anders and Klara Forslund. [6]
The company secured $35 million in Series A funding in 2021, led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, United Airlines Ventures, and Mesa Air Group, with participation from existing seed investors EQT Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital. [7]
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]
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 (250 mi). [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 [14] [15] This design was then superseded in September 2022 by the ES-30.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 400 km (220 nmi), significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional aircraft on similar routes. With a reduced passenger load of 25, a range of 800 km (430 nmi) 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]
Date | Customer | Orders | Options | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 July 2021 | United Airlines | 100 | 50 | Originally ordered ES-19, later reconfirmed for ES-30 [22] [23] |
13 July 2021 | Mesa Airlines | 100 | 50 | Originally ordered ES-19, later reconfirmed for ES-30 [22] [23] |
15 September 2022 | Air Canada | 30 | – | [23] |
10 May 2023 | Rockton | 20 | 20 | Aircraft leasing company [24] |
Totals | 250 | 120 |
The company also has letters of intent (non-firm orders) for a further 191 airplanes from Braathens Regional Airlines, Loganair, Icelandair, JSX, Scandinavian Airlines, Sounds Air, and Sevenair Air Services. [25]