AIRSPEEDER: World’s first flying electric car racing series makes giant leap forward

“Electric flying cars are a coming reality that will liberate our cities and answer the long-term mobility challenges we face. Nothing drives technology as fast as competition. The F1 racers of the early 20th century possessed a pioneering spirit we are harnessing today to rapidly accelerate progress.  This seed investment represents a significant leap forward in the next great mobility revolution.”  Matt Pearson, Founder, Alauda & Airspeeder

AIRSPEEDER POISED TO GO RACING:

Alauda, the performance electric flying car company and its racing series, Airspeeder is poised to go racing following the successful completion of a seed investment round. This progress represents significant steps forward in their aim to accelerate the development of electric flying cars through sporting competition.

Airspeeder delivers on the promise of a future proposed in science fiction and gaming. Inspiration from the latter will take the form of a cockpit, furnished with latest augmented reality technology to assist the pilot in navigating the course.

Airspeeder will be the most exciting and progressive motor sport on the planet. Elite pilots will use the sky as their playground in intense head-to-head competition. Multiple teams and manufacturers will be provided the hardware by Alauda as a turn-key solution but afforded freedom to set strategy and draft pilots. The roster of teams will include established names in racing and entirely new entrants to motorsport who are enticed by the fusion of intense sporting competition and next generation technology.

This approach will create the close and intense sporting competition traditional motor sport fans crave.

The Speeders are propelled by the latest electric powertrains co-developed with technical partners drawn from the elite motor sport world. This state-of-the-art form of propulsion will accelerate a zero-emissions future. Rapid electric pitstops and short, intense head-to-head competition will serve the requirements of a generation, native to Esports.

Our audiences will be hooked by the visual excitement of close proximity racing, soundtracked by the roar of racing octocopters manoeuvring above the most visually arresting landscapes on the planet.

Final ‘manned’ tests of the Speeders are technically ready. These flights will take place in the desert surrounding the firm’s HQ in South Australia once restrictions relating to the global health crisis are lifted. First head-to-head dual races are planned to take place in late 2020 with first locations to be announced shortly.

A GIANT LEAP FORWARD:

A technical facility has been established in Adelaide, South Australia. The region is rapidly taking its place as a global centre of space and aerospace technology with its surrounding deserts the perfect place to test both manned and unmanned flights.

The facility will be both company’s technical base and will house a growing team of engineers and technical specialists drawn from the leading names in aerospace, motorsport and engineering including Rolls-Royce and Babcock Aviation.

A global commercial base in London, England has also been established. It provides important proximity to key technical expertise in motor sport, aviation and the UK’s furtive and rapidly expanding electric powertrain development industry. Airspeeder will shortly announce technical partnerships in powertrain development, sensory technology and composites with some of the leading names in motor sport, aviation and technological engineering.

London is also the perfect place from which to engage with the global investment community, the entertainment industry and key sponsors. EQUALS, a leading FX and money management firm and German logistics company, DHL have both significantly backed the firm with support and funds.

INVESTMENT SECURED:

Airspeeder’s vision has been affirmed by significant institutional backing. The firm has secured funding from two of Australia’s leading technology Venture Capital firms, Saltwater Capital and Jelix Ventures. The investment into the future of mobility backs a pioneer in  eVTOL (Electrical Vertical Take Off and Landing), which is a sector that is predicted to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2035.

Both firms specialise in backing fast-growing technology startups. Jelix invests early in innovative Australian technology startups where technology provides a powerful competitive advantage in a global market. Jelix returned 10x to Jelix investors in StorReduce on its acquisition by PureStorage, a US NASDAQ listed company.

“Airspeeder’s founder, Matt Pearson has an inspired vision of the future of “clean air” mobility We are impressed with the early success of his route to early commercialisation through the creation of a flying car racing league.  There is a clear global market for Airspeeder and Alauda and the founder has an outstanding track record as a successful entrepreneur.  We are proud to support the realisation of his bold vision of the future of mobility.”  Andrea Gardiner, Co-Founder, Jelix Ventures

Saltwater Ventures is a specialist global technology fund founded by successful entrepreneur Len Findlay. He has spent two decades founding, guiding, funding and growing technology companies across Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Saltwater backs high-growth, high-potential companies that challenge industry conventions with vision to develop new markets through innovative solutions.

“We are inspired by Matt Pearson’s vision to drive innovation in a sector that promises to change mobility. Electric flying car racing will drive awareness of a technology that will bring our communities together and answer the question of sustainable urban transport in the coming decades. We are proud to be a part of bringing the bold promise of electric flying car racing to life.”  Len Findlay, Founder, Saltwater Ventures

The investment represents a significant seed round ahead of an already planned Series A raise. The injection of capital has enabled the creation of the firm’s state-of-the-art technical base in Adelaide, South Australia.

“We are delighted that Jelix and Saltwater are joining us on the journey to seeding the next great mobility revolution. These are proven and professional investors with extraordinary vision and track records backing technology led ventures. To receive backing from investors with such exceptional reputations affirms our ambition.”  Matt Pearson, Founder, Alauda & Airspeeder

TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT:

The firm is currently at a stage of advanced testing. Its MK2 electric flying multicopters successfully completed trials throughout 2019. A team of test pilots recruited from the US Air Force and Martin Aviation will test the MK3 advanced development prototype in the Mojave desert.

The MK4, first shown as a concept in the summer of 2019 will be co-developed in the UK and South Australia, with the latter proving the perfect testing ground for both ground control and manned flights as the sport nears its inaugural ‘Beta Season’. This will included public manned test flights that will demonstrate Airspeeder’s potential to be the most exciting sport on the planet. The firm is poised to deliver this flight but exact timings will be dependent on the lifting of restrictions related to the current global health crisis.

Matthew Pearson and CCO, Jack Whithanshaw are actively engaged in open dialogue with the wider passenger flying car industry (eVTOL) to open co-development channels that address the key issues of safety, regulation and awareness.

“We believe in open innovation. Looking back to the development of both the car and aeroplane over a century ago, it was sporting competition that drove progress. We are delighted to work in close collaboration with global regulators and the wider eVTOL industry to bring closer a revolution in airborne mobility.” Matt Pearson, Founder, Aluada & Airspeeder

BACKGROUND:

Airpseeder is defining the future of mobility through the white heat of sporting competition.

As creators of the world’s first motorsport series for flying cars, the Airpspeeder competition accelerates the development of world-changing technologies. This new mobility revolution promises to answer the question of urban congestion by providing electric flying public passenger vehicles. Global leaders including Uber, Porsche, GE and Boeing are all heavily backing a sector poised to be worth $1.5t trillion dollars by 2040.

To create the sport, the founding team first had to develop and master the technology. Parent company Alauda will create and manufacture the hardware for teams competing in the Airspeeder series, priming Alauda to prove technical and performance competency whilst creating mass global interest in vertical mobility.

SAFETY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY:

Airspeeder will be experienced through global multi-channel streaming. Spectators at live events will be limited to VIPs exclusively invited to experience and amplify the action from luxury pavilions. As they compete, Airspeeders will utilise cutting-edge LiDAR and Machine Vision technology to ensure close but safe racing, with defined and digitally governed no-fly areas surrounding spectators and officials.

THE TECHNOLOGY:

“By competing with each other, we wound up beating our rivals.” Enzo Ferrari, Founder, Ferrari

The technology that underpins Airspeeder is developed by our parent company, Alauda. The speeders are in the final stage of development, with manned test flights planned for January 2020 in a secret desert location.

The sport promises to be the greatest modern sporting spectacle on the planet, with elite pilots propelled to speeds of 200kph in the largest, most powerful octocopters on the planet.

As creators of the sport and the hardware that delivers it, Alauda will be placed to dominate the performance segment of a market that will explode in the same way exotic and luxury cars did in the early-twentieth century.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER: MATTHEW PEARSON

Matt Pearson is the founder and visionary behind Alauda and Airspeeder. Together with a team of engineers, designers and commercial minds spanning Australia and London, he is accelerating the development of electric flying vehicles through the white heat of sporting competition.

Beyond his role as a defining voice in the future of mobility, Matt is driving the rapidly expanding Industrial Internet of Things space through his work at Fleet. From their base in South Australia millions of devices are powered via Low Earth Orbit through a growing network of nano satellites.

COVID-19 STATEMENT

We prioritise the safety, health and wellbeing of our team, fans, friends and everybody around the world above anything else. We are following government and WHO guidelines on sanitisation, isolation and distancing.

Our talented team remains committed to our mission and are employing remote and home working to continue with our development programme.

From all of us, we wish you and your families all the very best and look forward to going racing as soon as it is safe and responsible to do so.

AIRSPEEDER & ALAUDA:

Airspeeder promises to be the most exciting sporting entity on the planet. Founded on the belief that technical development is accelerated in the white heat of competition, Airspeeder is defining the future of mobility by hastening the arrival of the technologies that will drive the flying car mobility revolution. This bold vision is realised by elite technical minds from the cutting-edge of the aviation and motorsport worlds.  https://airspeeder.com/