Aerospace startup Sarla Aviation Gets $10 Mn Funding led by Accel

Sarla Aviation, an aerospace startup focused on developing electric aircraft for flying taxis has raised $10 million in funding. 

The round was led by Accel and also saw participation from angel investors including notable figures such as Binny Bansal (co-founder of flipkart), Nikhil Kamath (co-founder of zerodha) and Sriharsha Majety (co-founder of Swiggy).

The startup plans to use the funding to set up a research and development center in Bengaluru, expand its team beyond the current 30 employees and create new prototypes to improve its technology.

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“We are planning to utilise this funding round to progress the prototyping for Shunya, build components and make sure that we are on track to build flying taxis and launch them in 2028,” said Schmidt.

"Sarla Aviation’s vision of affordable flying taxis addresses critical urban challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution, and the need for rapid medical response,” said, Pratik Agarwal, principal at Accel.

Sarla Aviation plans to start its commercial operations in 2028, beginning with airport transfers in Bengaluru. It will then expand to Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. The startup also plans to offer a free air ambulance service along with its commercial ride-sharing flights.

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Last year, Sarla Aviation teamed up with Bengaluru International Airport to get ready for its flying taxi service. Other companies, like The ePlane Company and Archer Aviation, are also looking to enter the Indian market.

About Sarla Aviation

Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation was founded in 2024 by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar and Shivam Chauhan, it is getting ready to unveil its first prototype called Shunya on January 17 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi.

The aircraft is designed to carry up to 680 kilograms and hold six passengers, along with the pilot.

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