Zuri’s oversubscribed Pre-Series A fundraising round raises €4.4 million, helping to advance its hybrid VTOL aircraft

Czech startup Zuri has raised more than €4 million in its recently concluded pre-Series A funding round.

Initially targeted at €1.5 million, the round was oversubscribed nearly threefold, ultimately raising €4.4 million. The investment has already been received and registered in the Commercial Register, marking a significant milestone in Zuri’s mission to redefine Regional Air Mobility with sustainable, innovative flight solutions.

Michal Illich, Zuri’s founder exclusively revealed details about the latest fundraising at eVTOL Insights’ Europe Conference in London last month.

Speaking in more detail about the announcement, he said: “This remarkable level of support from our investors reinforces Zuri’s mission and momentum. With the funds raised, we can now confidently accelerate the next stage of our development – building our next-generation technology demonstrator, TD 2.0.”

Next-Generation Technology Demonstrator, TD 2.0 Zuri’s next-generation technology demonstrator represents a significant leap forward in hybrid VTOL aircraft design.

Building on the success of its first-generation, 11-meter demonstrator, which has already completed flight testing, TD 2.0 will deliver groundbreaking advancements in three key areas:

• Hybrid Powertrain: Integrating a hybrid propulsion system combining the best of
  electric and internal combustion technologies to deliver extended range, operational
  flexibility, and reduced environmental impact.

• Full Flight Mode Capability: Zuri’s large-scale demonstrator will operate in all flight
  modes — vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), transition, and cruise — thanks to the
  incorporation of tiltrotors. (note: Zuri has successfully tested these modes in multiple
  subscale models.)

• Refined Zuri 2.0 Design: The new Zuri 2.0 aircraft design, introduces advanced
  tiltrotors and a reengineered tail section, significantly improving aerodynamic efficiency,
  stability, and overall performance

Illich added: “With TD 2.0, we’re not just making incremental improvements — we’re redefining what’s possible in VTOL mobility. This phase of development will demonstrate the potential of our hybrid concept, bringing us one step closer to safe, efficient, sustainable, and on-demand mid-range travel.”

This investment round was led by Jan Barta, General Partner of Pale Fire Capital (PFC), a leading PE firm with a diverse portfolio spanning technology, energy and global markets.

PFC has been a longstanding supporter of initiatives focused on education, freedom, and democracy, aligning closely with Zuri’s mission to redefine sustainable and innovative Regional Air Mobility.

Barta said: “I have been watching Michal’s level of persistence for the last several years. Advancing a large VTOL project and being capital constrained the whole time was an immense challenge and Michal never gave up. Those are true qualities of real founders.

“This funding will now allow Zuri to scale up quickly and one can say, actually in the literal sense, the sky is truly the limit here.”

Pale Fire Capital was Zuri’s very first investor back in 2018, so its General Partner’s follow-up investment underscores the long-term trust in and support for Zuri’s vision of advancing hybrid aviation.

In addition to Barta’s investment, this round included contributions from notable angel investors, such as Boris Renski (US founder of FreedomFi and co-founder of Mirantis), Matej Turek’s 10X fund, and a group of investors from Europe and the USA, further validating Zuri’s global appeal and market potential.

To support this ambitious next phase, Zuri is expanding its team to accelerate progress toward delivering hybrid VTOL solutions.

The company is hiring across multiple disciplines, including aerospace design, project management, electrical engineering, and software development. The goal is to attract top-tier talent from Europe and beyond to help bring Zuri’s transformative vision for the future of Regional Air Mobility to life.

Founded in 2017, Zuri aims to revolutionise Advanced Regional Air Mobility with hybrid VTOL aircraft powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). By combining vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with efficient wing-borne flight, Zuri says its cutting-edge design provides a sustainable, high-performance solution for point-to-point, mid-range air travel.