Connected Places Catapult has revealed the cohort for the second edition of the Future of Air Mobility Accelerator, in partnership with the Future Flight Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The Future of Air Mobility accelerator (FoAM) is a challenge-led, 6-month accelerator programme powered by Connected Places Catapult and in partnership with UKRI. This year, the programme is pleased to be partnering with industry players Supernal, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace and Heathrow; academic collaborators Cranfield University and Coventry University, alongside the UK Civil Aviation Authority and BSI.
The Catapult has worked with this consortium to define 4 challenges to guide the cohort selection. These key challenges are: Future Airport & Vertiport Operations, Aviation Sustainability, Future Air & Space Traffic Management and Enabling End-to-End Mobility.
We are pleased to share that the chosen cohort are:
- ANGOKA – Cyber security for smart mobility and Unmanned Air Vehicles
- CDO2 – Developing high performance battery systems for aircraft propulsion
- Firstco – Software for remote operations and management of multiple vertiports
- Flare Bright – Application of Machine Learning to solve challenging UAM problems
- Inteliports – Building intelligent droneports to facilitate fully automated drone deliveries
- LiveLink Aerospace – Time-sensitive decision making for innovative sensing solutions to enable a clear and accurate air picture
- Skyverse – A cloud-based Air Traffic Management platform for aerodromes
- SLiNK–TECH – Vertiport Automation Technology to scale the future of flight economy
- Transreport – Develop world-leading software technology assisting disabled passengers travel better
Over the next 6 months, the cohort will receive funding from the Future Flight Challenge for the trialling and testing of their innovations as well as business development, investment readiness and technical support and expertise from the programme partners. They will demonstrate their achievements at the accelerator Demo Day on 27th April 2023.
In 2021, Connected Places Catapult and the Future Flight Challenge launched the first Future of Air Mobility Accelerator, embarking on a journey to select and fund 11 SMEs to trial and test their solutions in areas of data driven aviation, smart airports and advanced air mobility.
The programme demonstrated not only the art of the possible for new aviation technologies, but how, by collaborating across the industry, we can test, validate and accelerate these technologies to market successfully. The funded trials, together with the mentorship provided, supported the cohort in raising over £5.5 million in investment, securing over £6 million in grant funding, gaining new commercial clients and creating over 65 new jobs. Connected Places Catapult and the Future Flight Challenge are excited to run the accelerator for a second year.
Simon Masters, Deputy Challenge Director of the Future Flight challenge at UKRI said: “The Future Flight Challenge has always been supportive of companies seeking to push the boundaries of aviation technology. Over the past 2 years we’ve been continually encouraging new players into the market and our accelerator programme with the Connected Places Catapult is a great way for SMEs to trial and test their innovations with support from the programme’s partners.”
