Aquila secures AUD $2 million to advance drone charging tech

Deep tech startup Aquila has completed an AUD $2 million follow-on funding round, advancing its efforts towards the commercial release of Lightway Sentry, which is cited as the world's first optical power-beaming product.

The recent investment round was led by Alua Group with contributions from existing investors Blackbird and Icehouse. This follows Aquila's initial seed round of AUD $3 million secured last year.

Lightway Sentry is a wireless energy product designed to charge drones in mid-air, allowing continuous flight. This technology utilises photonics, with light beams transmitted from ground-based systems to solar cell receivers on drones. The application potential spans several fields, including search and rescue, emergency services, asset management, and transportation.

CEO Billy Jeremijenko highlighted the significance of the funding for accelerating Lightway Sentry's development and concurrent recruitment of top tech talent. "We're on track to release the world's first optical power-beaming product into the market and recruit the best people in the world to be part of our mission," Jeremijenko stated.

"We've met our seed funding targets, including scaling our technology and establishing a product certification pathway. We've demonstrated proof of concept and are now focused on making Lightway Sentry an end-to-end solution to provide 24/7 aerial situational awareness, transforming productivity and safety outcomes for many drone applications," he added.

Aquila's testing partners include Quickstep and Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ), and the company has also piqued the interest of international customers such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Earlier this year, Aquila demonstrated the feasibility of wirelessly charging drones from a distance of 50 metres — considerably surpassing previous attempts by similar technology. This achievement makes it possible to power DJI and other small drones wirelessly, facilitating indefinite flight durations. The company aims to extend this capability to larger drones to enhance safety and commercial applications on a broader scale.

Lightway Sentry represents the initial phase in Aquila's broader objective to advance wireless energy technology to a network level, envisaging the provision of affordable, clean energy without the need for wires.

Josh Best, Founder of Alua Group, expressed pride in leading the funding round, praising Jeremijenko's vision for the future of power distribution. "We are immensely proud to lead this funding round for Aquila," Best said. "Billy Jeremijenko's vision for the future of power distribution is nothing short of revolutionary. His ability to drive progress and attract top-tier talent propels Aquila to introduce a groundbreaking product with Lightway Sentry and redefine global energy dynamics."

Best added, "We are excited to support Aquila as they transition from a promising startup to a market leader in wireless energy solutions, setting the stage for a future where energy can be moved across the globe wirelessly."

Blackbird Partner Niki Scevak also shared optimism about Aquila's potential, highlighting the technological advancements made thus far. "Aquila has demonstrated some exciting technological progress that could disrupt the trillion-dollar energy sector, and we are delighted to invest further in them with this round. We eagerly look forward to the dramatic impact the first Lightway energy networking product can make when it is imminently deployed," Scevak commented.

Besides working on enabling perpetual drone flights, Aquila looks ahead to using the technology to build a clean energy network powered by light, devoid of any wires, aiming for limitless possibilities.