A new startup named Radical, formed by former Amazon Prime Air employees, has successfully raised $4.5 million in seed funding to develop high-altitude solar-powered autonomous aircraft. These aircraft aim to provide persistent services such as high-quality imaging, sensing, and telecommunications from the stratosphere. The funding will support Radical's vision of utilizing ultra-thin, flexible solar cells, which have shown promise in commercial applications like quadcopter drones. This technology was recently highlighted in publications such as Nature Energy Journal and Nature Communications.
Sources
Y Combinator
Congrats to @RadicalAero on their $4.5M seed! Radical (YC W23) is building high-altitude solar drones to provide persistent services from the stratosphere, unlocking new opportunities for high-quality imaging, sensing, and telecommunications. https://t.co/SFIKxeXKFz https://t.co/7EhKnG2EmF
TechXploreEngineers uncover key to efficient and stable organic #solarCells @hkuniversity @NatureComms https://t.co/q1SC3EIbJT
HajeSky's the limit? Psh, Radical scoffs at such pedestrian ideas! This Seattle-based startup is reaching for solar-powered, high-altitude fantasies with autonomous aircraft: https://t.co/gawuEg79X6 #SolarPower đŠī¸âī¸ via @TechCrunch
