TBM Staff - Mumbai The ePlane Company, a Chennai-based startup specialising in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, recently closed a significant USD 14 million funding round. This round was co-led by Speciale Invest and Antares Ventures, with participation from Micelio Mobility, Naval Ravikant, Java Capital, Samarthya Investment Advisors, Redstart (from Naukri), and Anicut. This fresh investment positions ePlane as India’s most heavily funded eVTOL enterprise.
The funds will be essential for obtaining global regulatory certifications and advancing the commercial viability of ePlane’s technology. The company has targeted mid-2025 for manned flight testing of its eVTOL aircraft, with much of the funding going toward the development, certification, and prototyping of its manned aircraft. ePlane also plans to boost its drone technology commercialisation through a wholly-owned subsidiary, expanding its technical capabilities and refining testing to meet global standards.
ePlane, founded by Satya Chakravarthy and incubated at IIT Madras in 2019, has been making notable strides in product development, achieving key subsystem validations and building out its intellectual property. The company is advancing the e200x, a compact eVTOL aircraft designed for intra-city transport that promises up to 7x faster commutes, aiming to alleviate urban traffic congestion with sustainable, tech-driven mobility solutions.
This funding is seen as a major step toward realizing the startup’s vision of accessible urban aerial transport, positioning it to transform urban mobility in India and beyond.
