Deep tech startup Green Aero bags $1.6 million in seed funding led by pi Ventures
Green Aero is building hydrogen-powered and high-efficiency engines for aerospace, naval, and supersonic applications
Deep tech startup Green Aero has bagged $1.6 million in a seed funding round led by pi Ventures with participation from Antler. The funds will be utilised to advance product development and testing, expand its team across engineering and operations, establish a state-of-the-art testing facility and accelerate the go-to-market strategy for its first engine.
The funding comes as Green Aero plans to commercialise its first small-category engine within the next 12 months, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for its larger engine platform.
India has long depended on imported turbine engines for high-performance drones and aircraft. Green Aero is leveraging its deep-tech expertise and commitment to sustainability to develop efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible propulsion solutions, said Dr Prithwish Kundu, Founder & CEO, Green Aero.
Green Aero’s vision to make India self-reliant in propulsion technology while leading the world in clean aviation deeply resonates with our mission of backing category-defining technologies, said Shubham Sandeep, MD at pi Ventures.
Incubated at IIT Delhi, Green Aero was founded in late 2023 by Prithwish Kundu, a former research scientist at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, who has extensively published work with collaborators such as NASA and the US Army. The company is developing core propulsion technology for aerospace, naval, and hydrogen-powered applications that aim to deliver twofold efficiency compared to current global models. Recently, it completed the firing of the country’s first hydrogen-powered aero engine core, called ‘The Blue Dragon’.
Looking ahead, Green Aero is also pushing the frontier of supersonic propulsion, enabled by their engines’ high-thrust performance envelope. In parallel, the company is developing a green hydrogen-based engine that will offer a high-efficiency, zero-emission alternative to conventional aircraft propulsion.
Published on July 9, 2025
