Ampaire's Year in Review

Taking off in any airplane is a magical experience. Taking off in one you've personally helped build, it's breathtaking. You feel the pull of acceleration, the wisps of air and hum of the engine, and the promise of the future. It's exhilarating. It's a vivid reminder of why we're so passionately committed to sustainable aviation.

As I reflect on Ampaire's journey this year, I'm filled with an indescribable sense of achievement and purpose. Our vision for the future is ambitious, to enable unprecedented connectivity that is cleaner, more affordable, and more accessible than ever before. We believe that it is imperative for us to make rapid progress toward this future, to improve a world at risk of missing its climate goals and leaving countless communities unconnected.

Action today maximizes benefits. Ampaire has a compelling solution to reduce carbon emissions – the planet can't wait. We are also on track to be first to market – creating an entrenched position and competitive advantage. We achieve our goals by innovating at the cutting edge of technology, implementing resilient long-term growth strategies, and establishing ourselves as the trusted developer of practical and compelling products.

This year, more than any before, we have met the world where it is at and have shown that the next generation of aviation is not in the distant future, it's arriving now. The numerous airports we've visited, the many more that we've flown over, and the countless others spanning the globe each represent a community we aim to connect. These visits underscore our mission and show our ability to achieve it. Ambitious and achievable.

Ampaire is a company of action. Our actions have equipped us with the largest and most capable fleet of hybrid electric aircraft and have enabled an expansive flight test program. Our flights in regions across the globe are a testament to the viability of hybrid electric aviation and a signal of the transition at hand. These have been opportunities to not only showcase our technology but also to educate and inspire communities known for their innovation and reliance on aviation. In many cases, it's been our privilege to introduce attendees to electrified aviation for the first time, sharing the tangible benefits of our work. Our actions have demonstrated how these use cases are ideal for hybrid electric solutions that maintain tremendous operational capabilities and do not depend on extensive novel ground infrastructure.

This year also brought increasing demand for our products, growing across cargo logistics, passenger carriers, and specialty applications. In addition to the regional operators with whom we've formed close collaborations over the years, we are also seeing a ballooning demand from OEMs, including conventional, VTOL, and drone developers who are in dire need of improved vehicle performance and are turning to Ampaire for our hybrid electric help. We've accelerated progress through strategic M&A as part of our growth. Looking ahead, we anticipate significant opportunities from dual-use government missions alongside the commercial applications of our technology.

As we continue to expand our reach and impact, we're gaining momentum toward key upcoming goals: accelerated precertification revenue streams, certification of our AMP H570 and Eco Caravan, building out production facilities and supplier networks, and expanding our AMP Drive™ system into broader applications. Many more exciting and meaningful accomplishments are ahead.

Our team at Ampaire is immensely proud of the journey we're on, and we appreciate you taking a moment to share in the joy with us. We extend our deepest gratitude to our broad communities of support, employees, investors, partners, and customers. We're excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what electric aviation can achieve and look forward to sharing more with you along the way.

Best wishes,

Kevin Noertker

Cofounder & CEO, Ampaire Inc.

Our Journey To Tomorrow

Ampaire x ARPA-e: This year, we saw the successful culmination of Ampaire's groundbreaking three-year CIRCUITS project in partnership with ARPA-e.

ARPA-e's unwavering support fueled Ampaire's development of the world's first hybrid electric flying testbed to accelerate state-of-the-art electrified power technologies for flight.

Ampaire Treks to Alaska: As a member of the Launch Alaska Portfolio, Ampaire completed a record-breaking flight to the 49th state this year, leaving our home airfield of Camarillo with a flight plan plotted north of more than 3,000 miles! Our pilot cruised easily over the western U.S. and began the first flight of its kind over Canada. The historic flight represents a major milestone in electric aviation: It was the first hybrid electric aircraft deployment in Alaska, the first international hybrid electric flight, and the first hybrid electric aircraft to gain both FAA (USA) and TCCA (Canada) special airworthiness approvals. It's the furthest north any hybrid electric aircraft has flown, enabled by the first-ever deployments of mobile electric aircraft chargers in Alaska and Canada. The electric EEL continues to show that it is more than capable of sustained long-distance flight and is deserving of its growing reputation for reliability and ease of flying. 

Electric EEL Lands in Arizona: CEO Kevin Noertker flew with our demonstrator EEL aircraft to Scottsdale, AZ, for the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association's (RACCA) annual conference. RACCA is a network of cargo carriers that specialize in transporting packages and cargo to and from major airports and smaller communities. Cargo transport is a huge portion of the aviation industry, and Ampaire is determined to see this key piece of our national supply chain become more efficient and sustainable. Our static demonstration gave this critical sector the opportunity to see the aircraft up close and witness exactly what the future of electrified air travel looks like today. 

Electric EEL Debuts in Silicon Valley: CEO Kevin Noertker was also aboard another historic hybrid electric flight, this time into Palo Alto Airport in the heart of Silicon Valley. Renowned for its longstanding role as a source of cutting-edge technological innovation, Silicon Valley was the ideal place to show off Ampaire's flagship EEL aircraft, schedule investor viewings, meet with key stakeholders, and host press and city council members. Guests witnessed firsthand the potential of hybrid electric aviation and its far-reaching impact on the future of aerial transportation. 

Regional airports like Palo Alto play a vital role in keeping us connected and in bringing advanced, sustainable transportation options to communities all around the world. This flight once again demonstrated the reliability, efficiency, and readiness of Ampaire's hybrid electric fleet. It is these same capabilities that have enabled us to broadly deploy our technology on flights across the U.S. mainland, the first ever hybrid electric flights over Canada and Alaska, along with island-hopping stints in Hawaii and Scotland. With this milestone flight to Silicon Valley, we signaled to the aviation industry and investors that Ampaire is ready to lead the next age of aviation - the electric age.

Ampaire wins the 2023 R&D 100 Award: The R&D 100 Awards, established in 1963, is a unique competition recognizing the technological significance of new commercial products, technologies, and materials available for sale or license. This annual program celebrates the top 100 revolutionary technologies of the past year. Ampaire secured the 2023 R&D 100 Award for its groundbreaking technology, the 250 kW All Silicon Carbide Motor Drive for Hybrid Electric Aircraft, developed in collaboration with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Wolfspeed, Inc., and ARPA-E, U.S. Dept. of Energy. Winning the R&D 100 Award holds profound significance for Ampaire, as it validates our commercial products' technological excellence and innovation and reinforces our position among the top contributors to science and technology. 

The Electric EEL Demonstrates 12-Hour Flight: Our hybrid Electric EEL demonstrator aircraft completed a record endurance flight on December 10, 2023, in Camarillo, CA. This flight establishes a new record for hybrid electric aircraft endurance, with a total flight time of 12 hours exactly and over 2 hours of fuel and battery reserves remaining. This remarkable endurance flight serves as our crowning achievement for 2023, thus concluding a year marked by consistently successful missions spanning Canada, Alaska, Arizona, and California. The aircraft has demonstrated unwavering performance throughout each journey, solidifying its reliability and adaptability in diverse environments. The EEL demonstrator aircraft has been pivotal in advancing high-powered electronics, inverters, motors, and associated systems, and it truly is the backbone of our AMP Drive technology.

Building Bridges

Ampaire Receives Caravan Upgrade Order from Azul Conecta: In January, Ampaire received a letter of intent to upgrade Azul Conecta's Grand Caravans to Ampaire Eco Caravans. The core of the Eco Caravan is the AMP-H570 hybrid-electric powertrain and battery pack. The regional airline is a subsidiary of Azul, Brazil's largest airline by passenger volume, departures, and cities served. The Azul Conecta order followed the first flight of the Eco Caravan in November 2022 and the announcement days later of a $9 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to help Ampaire advance systems so they are ready for FAA certification and series production.

Ampaire Acquires Talyn: With the acquisition of Talyn Air in July, we supercharged our access into the adjacent defense, drone, and eVTOL markets. Our intellectual property holdings have been broadened with eight new patents, and our market opportunities are strengthened with seven additional government contracts, which unlocks immediate revenue growth and accelerates reach into the massive total addressable markets in both commercial and defense applications. Excited to integrate our pioneering hybrid electric propulsion systems into the airframes of other developers, Ampaire is now well-positioned to provide customers with unparalleled hybrid electric propulsion capabilities across drones, fixed-wing, and eVTOL aircraft. 

Shaping the Future with NASA: Following a successful Phase I award of NASA's SBIR Ignite pilot initiative for small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs, Ampaire received a follow-on Phase II award for continued development of Ampaire's hybrid electric powertrain technology. NASA's goal is to provide funding and other support to de-risk technologies that have strong commercial potential, helping make them more attractive to investors, customers, and partners.

U.S. Air Force Invests with Ampaire: Investing in an electric future, the U.S. Air Force and Ampaire aligned to establish the development of megawatt-scale hybrid technology. To perform initial prototype development, Ampaire was awarded a $1.25M direct-to-phase 2 SBIR contract from the AFWERX AFVentures open-topic program supported by Agility Prime. This is an incredible opportunity to expand the scope of our hybrid powertrain knowledge and shape the next generation of military aircraft. 

Ampaire's AMP-H570 hybrid powertrain, developed initially for commercial applications on the Cessna Caravan, now crosses over to military dual-use applications. A militarized, twin-engine Beechcraft King Air aircraft is set to be outfitted into the first megawatt-scale hybrid prototype. This will be the first build and test of our second-generation AMP-H570 powertrain unit. With this increase to 1.14 Megawatts of power, Ampaire expects to set a new standard for hybrid propulsion capabilities and dramatically increase the range of applications. Supercharged by the support of the U.S. Air Force, Ampaire looks forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship, creating megawatt-scale hybrid technology for the entire U.S. military.

 Surcar Airlines Partners with Ampaire: Spanish Canary Islands aviation startup Surcar Airlines ordered three Ampaire Eco Otter aircraft to introduce sustainable sightseeing flights between the two major islands, Gran Canaria and Tenerife. 

 The deployment of Ampaire's Eco Otter aircraft will significantly reduce emissions while allowing a portion of the islands' 12 million annual tourists to enjoy the natural beauty, superb climate, and beautiful beaches of the archipelago in an environmentally friendly way. 

Ampaire is proud to play a key role in helping a tourist-rich area like the Canarian Islands meet its unique transit needs while delivering a product that simultaneously lowers costs and reduces its environmental footprint.

ELIRE Aero Joins the Fleet: Ampaire was thrilled to ink a strategic partnership with ELIRE Aero, marking a significant step toward advancing sustainable aviation solutions. The collaboration aims to facilitate the certification of existing airframes with Ampaire's cutting-edge hybrid systems. This venture positions ELIRE Aero as a pioneering OEM, poised to emerge as one of the world's first airframers offering real air taxi eSTOL (electric short takeoff and landing) solutions. Leveraging existing certified aircraft, ELIRE Aero is committed to deploying type-certified clean energy propulsion systems for both cargo and passenger applications.

Looking Forward

As we reflect on the accomplishments of this year, Ampaire remains steadfast in our dedication to pioneering electric aviation. 

We aren't merely shaping the future; we believe that we are actively defining it. As the journey presses on, we extend an invitation for you to follow our progress as we spearhead a new era of sustainable and innovative aviation solutions. Stay up to date on our activity through our social media channels.

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As Ampaire propels into the upcoming year, our commitment to making history is unwavering, ensuring that our impact on the aviation landscape continues to evolve and inspire.