France – French aircraft manufacturer Aura Aero has closed a €50 million (approx. USD $54.5 million) Series B funding round, bringing its total capital raised to €340 million (approx. USD $369 million), as the company transitions from programme development to industrial-scale production with factories confirmed in Toulouse, France, and Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.

The Series B round was led by a consortium of industrial, institutional, and deep-tech investors including the French Tech Sovereignty Fund managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State, the European Innovation Council Fund, Safran Corporate Ventures, Blast, Innovacom, the Florida Opportunity Fund, and EDF Groupe.
In France, Aura Aero has secured a building permit for its future factory at Toulouse-Francazal Airport. In the United States, the company has opened its first site — a 16-hectare plot at Daytona Beach International Airport — to host ERA's American production facility, financed with support from Space Florida (Florida Aerospace Economic Development Agency).
Aura Aero reports over 700 purchase intentions and 20 firm orders for its ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft, providing the commercial visibility required to structure series production across both factory sites.
The funding round will support three primary priorities: the first flight of ERA, ramp-up of the INTEGRAL electric trainer, and deployment of drone activities with the ENBATA ITAR-free MALE drone — with all three programmes targeting world-first milestones:
- First flight of a hybrid-electric regional commercial transport aircraft (ERA)
- First CS-23 certification of a fully electric aircraft (INTEGRAL E)
- First flight of an ITAR-free MALE drone (ENBATA)

Statements

"AURA AERO is changing scale. Funding, firm orders and factories are no longer prospects, they are realities. With leading institutional and industrial partners, we are ready to accelerate and deliver a new generation of aircraft and drones," said Antoine Blin, Chief of Staff, Aura Aero.
"We are building much more than just aircraft: we are building a new European industrial player. This step gives us the means to fulfill our technological ambitions and, above all, to produce them on a large scale," said Jérémy Caussade, President and Co-founder, Aura Aero.
"This investment is part of Safran Corporate Ventures' strategy to support new players in the innovative technological building blocks of decarbonized aviation, such as hybrid-electric propulsion systems," said Florent Illat, Managing Director, Safran Corporate Ventures.
"We are proud to support Florida's cutting-edge aerospace sector as AURA AERO aims to become the leading U.S. manufacturer of hybrid-electric regional aircraft, following the recent opening of the first of its two planned Florida production facilities," said Robert Harvey, President and Executive Director, Florida Opportunity Fund.

About Aura Aero
Aura Aero is a French integrated aircraft manufacturer dedicated to accelerating aviation decarbonisation through advanced design and manufacturing practices, holding both Design Organisation Approval (DOA) and Production Organisation Approval (POA). The company's portfolio includes the CS-23 type-certified INTEGRAL R aircraft, with the hybrid-electric ERA regional aircraft, INTEGRAL E fully electric trainer, and ENBATA MALE drone in active development toward first flight and certification milestones.

Source: Aura Aero

Training Aircraft Manufacturer to Industrial Scale with Euro 340 Million Total Funding and Dual-Country Factory Program

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