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Startup · United States

Hydroplane

HQ Lancaster, CAFounded 202011-50 employees

Hydroplane develops modular hydrogen fuel cell powerplants for aircraft electric propulsion and mobile power generation, including a 200 kW-class powerplant demonstrated on a retrofitted single-engine aircraft and a helicopter rotor test stand. Its work has been funded mainly through U.S. Air Force, Navy/Marine Corps and Army SBIR/STTR contracts, including a 2026 Army Phase II award for vertical-lift propulsion.

StartupPrototype
Website
Total raised
Undisclosed
4 rounds
Last round
$1.9M
Grant · Apr 2, 2026
Systems
2
Most mature: prototype
Mentions
4
Latest Sep 16, 2026

News4

Open in the news feed →

Funding4 rounds

Equity raised
Undisclosed
Debt, secondaries & grants
$2.5M
Latest
$1.9MGrant · Apr 2, 2026

Raised counts equity rounds; debt, secondary sales and grants are totaled separately. Amounts in other currencies are converted at the announcement month's average rate. A ~ marks an estimated or converted amount.

Systems2

Newest unveiled first. Open a system for its milestone timeline, components and sources.

Supply Chain2 facilities

Facilities2

  • Hydroplane headquarters, Lancaster
    Headquarters · Lancaster, CA, United States
    Operating
    Confirmed
  • Hydroplane registered address, Sherman Oaks
    Office · Sherman Oaks, CA, United States
    Operating
    Reported

People2

All 2 people →
  • Anita Sengupta

    Founder

  • Anita Sengupta

    CEO

Sources16

Show all 16 sources and supporting evidence

Profile1

  1. 1
    DatabaseHydroplane - Crunchbase company profile

    Crunchbase · Supports Organization · employee range, Organization · legal name, Organization · linkedin url, Organization · ownership, Organization · status

    “num_employees: 11-50”

Systems4

  1. 2
    NewsHydroplane reaches rotor flight speeds with hydrogen fuel cell

    Airframer · Jul 17, 2025 · Supports System

    “Hydroplane has demonstrated full rotor flight speed on its hydrogen fuel cell rotor transmission test stand as part of a U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract.”
  2. 3
    NewsHydroplane wins more funding to develop hydrogen propulsion

    Aerospace Testing International · Nov 6, 2024 · Supports System

    “Hydroplane's demonstrator aircraft for its hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system is a modified Piper Cherokee”
  3. 4
    CompanyHydroplane – The Flight Plan to Emissions Free Aviation.

    Hydroplane · Supports Organization · website, System

    “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powerplants for Electric Propulsion and Mobile Power Generation”
  4. 5
    CompanyGovernment Acquisition – Hydroplane

    Hydroplane · Supports Facility, Organization · description, Organization · hq city, System

    “Headquarters: Lancaster, California, US”

Funding7

  1. 6
    CompanyHydroplane Awarded Phase 2 SBIR Contract to Advance Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Propulsion for Army Aviation

    Hydroplane · Apr 2, 2026 · Supports Funding round, Organization · description, Role

    “Hydroplane today announced it has been awarded a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the U.S. Army to advance development of its hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion system for helicopters and cargo drones.”
  2. 7
    CompanyHydroplane wins Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from the U.S. Army for hydrogen fuel cell powerplant development for vertical lift applications

    Hydroplane Limited (via Airframer) · Nov 4, 2024 · Supports Funding round

    “Hydroplane is delighted to announce receipt of a U.S. Army Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract”
  3. 8
    NewsHydroplane wins Small Business Innovation Research Funding from U.S. Navy

    Defense and Munitions · Jun 11, 2024 · Supports Funding round

    “Hydroplane is pleased to be selected as one of six winners of highly selective Department of the Navy Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Funding”
  4. 9
    Government recordContract FA864921P0225 to Hydroplane Ltd

    USAspending.gov · Supports Funding round · amount

    “Award ID: FA864921P0225; Award Amount: 149999.0; Description: MODULAR HYDROGEN FUEL CELL POWER PLANT FOR UAM; Start Date: 2020-12-17”
  5. 10
    Government recordContract M6785424C6513 to Hydroplane Ltd

    USAspending.gov · Supports Funding round · amount

    “Award ID: M6785424C6513; Award Amount: 174812.0; Description: SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH TOPIC 23.4; Start Date: 2024-01-08”
  6. 11
    Government recordContract W5170125C0005 to Hydroplane Ltd

    USAspending.gov · Supports Funding round · amount

    “Award ID: W5170125C0005; Award Amount: 249978.8; Description: PHASE 1 AWARD; Start Date: 2024-10-30”
  7. 12
    Government recordContract W5170126CA127 to Hydroplane Ltd

    USAspending.gov · Supports Funding round · amount

    “Award ID: W5170126CA127; Award Amount: 1899779.77; Description: A244-P001 - HYDROPLANE FUEL CELL POWERPLANT FOR MOBILE ENERGY GENERATION, STORAGE, AND ELECTRIC PROPULSION; Start Date: 2026-04-15”

Supply chain2

  1. 13
    CompanyJoin the Community – Hydroplane

    Hydroplane · Supports Facility, Organization · aliases

    “Hydroplane Limited 4549 William J Barnes Rd, Lancaster CA”
  2. 14
    Government recordHYDROPLANE LTD - USAspending recipient profile

    USAspending.gov · Supports Facility

    “Recipient: HYDROPLANE LTD; UEI: EHJNG9NHYML1; City: SHERMAN OAKS; State: CA”

People2

  1. 15
    CompanyMeet The Team – Hydroplane

    Hydroplane · Supports Role

    “Dr. Anita Sengupta | CEO/Founder”
  2. 16
    CompanyOur Founder – Hydroplane

    Hydroplane · Supports Organization · founded year, Role

    “In 2020 she founded Hydroplane Ltd., to develop a novel hydrogen fuel cell powered electric powerplant for aircraft”

Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.