Aquila is taking wireless drone charging to new heights

Australian-New Zealand deep tech startup, Aquila, has completed a successful trial of its wireless drone charging technology in regional Victoria.

The trial showcased the ability of the company’s Lightway System to wirelessly charge drones over a distance of 50 metres.

Aquila’s technology utilises photonics, where light beams are transmitted from a ground-based unit to a solar cell receiver on a drone. According to the company, this approach enables the safe and efficient charging of drones while in flight.

The success of the trial is just the first step in Aquila’s larger plans to expand wireless energy technology to network levels, with the aim of offering affordable and clean energy solutions on a global scale.

Aquila has talked about large-scale possibilities for electrification, such as being able to transport energy across the globe from its place of generation — such as high noon in the Northern Territory — and having it utilised during a peak energy use period such as the evening in Los Angeles.

Energy storage has been identified as a major barrier to this potential future, and Aquila believes that the use of lasers is a cheaper and faster future solution. It contends that a wireless power supply could eliminate the need for battery storage for electricity.

Billy Jeremijenko, co-founder and CEO of Aquila, elaborated on the trial’s success, indicating that Lightway could allow small drones, such as those made by DJI, to stay airborne indefinitely.

He also pointed out the rapid progression towards adapting this technology for larger drones, underscoring its potential use in asset management, search and rescue, and coastal surveillance.

“We’re scaling fast. We’re focused on scaling our power transfer so we can keep larger drones in the air forever because that has huge benefits for efficiency in asset management and safety in remote sites and public places like beaches,” Jeremijenko said to SmartCompany.

Aquila’s progress has been recognised within the tech community, as evidenced by its recent inclusion in the Creative Disruption Lab and participation in the KPMG Future Technology Program. These developments are part of the company’s 2024 strategy, which includes unveiling a new brand, along with a growing partnership with Surf Life Saving New Zealand for coastal surveillance enhancements.

Support for Aquila comes from a range of venture capital firms, with the company raising $3 million in seed funding in 2023. The round was led by Blackbird Ventures and was joined by existing investors Startmate and Outset Ventures. Possible Ventures, Icehouse Ventures and Stage One were also part of the seed round.

“Aquila is solving the problem of drone range anxiety and battery life extremely efficiently, unlike any other option. It’s really exciting for drone makers like us to see this sort of game-changing technology, which can potentially transform how we power and use drones,” Luke Preston, head of technology and partnerships at Quickstep said.