Anumá Aerospace Corporation, the leading pioneer in partial-vacuum lift (PVL) technology, announced today that the company has been awarded a grant funded by the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology, and Innovation (NC BSTI). Anumá Aerospace builds solar-electric, partial-vacuum lift (PVL) aerostats and airships capable of true vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), nearly unlimited range and endurance, and zero emissions.
“We’re witnessing the renaissance of airships, but the industry needs a sustainable, affordable alternative to helium,” said Diana Little, Co-Founder and CEO of Anumá Aerospace. “Our patented PVL cells create helium-free airships that travel faster than cars or ships, are more economical than planes, and emit zero emissions. We are grateful to the One North Carolina Small Business Program and its support of the research and development of our mission to create sustainable aviation.”
Designed to produce and control the aerostatic lift of lighter-than-air aircraft, Anumá Aerospace’s technology is the first of its kind to create lift using partial vacuum. Anumá Aerospace’s PVL cells are inherently self-ballasting, enhancing safety while eliminating the cost and complexity of ground operations typical of conventional helium airships. In addition, Anumá’s solar-electric-powered partial-vacuum pumps and valves recover electrical energy during descent, enhancing overall efficiency.
The Matching Grant Award encourages the establishment and growth of high-quality, advanced technology firms in North Carolina and is administered by the NC BTSI on behalf of The One N.C. Small Business Program, in concert with two merit-based federal technology grants, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Anumá Aerospace recently announced an SBIR Grant given by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“The One North Carolina Small Business Program and the SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Award support burgeoning technology companies in North Carolina, continuing our prowess as a state focused on innovation in the sciences,” said Machelle Baker Sanders, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce. “We congratulate Anumá Aerospace and look forward to following their journey.”
Walt Anderson, Founder and CEO of Avealto, a business for the design and development of high-altitude Wireless Infrastructure Platform (“WIP”) vehicles to provide telecom services to unserved and underserved regions of the world, said, “We are excited the technology being brought to market by Anumá Aerospace. Anumá’s technology could substantially reduce our operation costs, and reducing the need for helium or hydrogen will make our operations easier.”
For more information, see Anuma Aerospace present at Venture Connect 2024, watch Diana Little’s presentation, “From Sci-Fi to Reality,” from The International Conference on Electric Airships, or visit www.anumaaerospace.com.
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