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Source | Sora Aviation linkedIn
Sora Aviation (Bristol, U.K.), a startup developing the S-1 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle has been awarded funding from Innovate UK for its new research project RACES.
RACES will explore the use of recycled carbon fiber (rCF) composites to develop lighter, lower-impact aircraft structures. RACES will advance practical pathways for integrating recycled materials into aerospace applications, says Furquan Afzal, Sora Aviation CEO. “Support from Innovate UK and the UK government is instrumental in enabling companies like Sora to pursue ambitious, high-impact research.”
As part of its eVTOL work, in June 2025 the company also secured £2.1 million through the ATI Programme for two R&D projects.
The first project, BatWing, is a collaboration with the University of Bath, focusing on lightweight aerospace battery pack technology development and the integration of battery packs onto aircraft wings. This approach enhances aircraft safety by isolating battery packs from the cabin while also reducing structural mass through bending relief at the wing root. The project will deliver a battery-wing section demonstrator incorporating lightweight and fireproof composite enclosures, wing-integrated thermal management systems and modular mechanical installation methods designed to simplify maintenance and improve operational efficiency.
The second project, SoraAero, partners Sora Aviation with the universities of Bristol and Manchester as well as Sophrodyne Aerospace to push the boundaries of aerodynamics, aeroacoustics and aeroelastics simulation for eVTOL aircraft and understand complex interactional effects unique to these aircraft configurations. By leveraging physics-constrained AI models and advanced computational methods validated by experimental data, the project will enable Sora to optimize the S-1’s design to minimize noise, improve aerodynamic efficiency, and enhance structural performance.
Sora Aviation was a technology trailblazers recognized at ATI Aerospace Technology & Innovation Awards 2025.
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