Viaka Newsletter: Building Human Flight - Exovolar!
This week, we sat down with Andrea Giannini, the co-founder of Exovolar!
What is Exovolar and how/why did it come to life? What is your personal story and relation to the problem (alongside your founders)?
My journey to Exovolar was marked by several formative experiences. After studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) for my Bachelor's, I worked at CERN in Geneva. There, I was exposed to the groundbreaking advances in technology and engineering. I later completed a Master's Degree in EECS, focusing on computer architecture in Torino, before moving to work in Zurich at ETH.
Zurich was a turning point for me, where I found myself drawn to the field of air mobility. I was working closely to the work of Raffaello D'Andrea's group, the founder of Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics), who were working on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It was a revelation to discover machines capable of autonomous flight, which sparked my fascination with the possibilities of this technology.
Around the same time, I came across Richard Browning's TED talk showcasing his jet suit. This was not the stuff of video games anymore - jetpacks were real! But I realized that the current state of jetpack technology was limited by its reliance on upper body strength and balance, making it unsafe for extended flight and demanding hundreds of hours of training.
That's when the idea for Exovolar crystallized. Why not leverage advancements in robotics and control engineering to make jetpacks safer and more accessible? I reached out to Richard, sharing my thoughts about enhancing the safety and accessibility of his technology. Although I was still deep into my academic journey and unsure of how to proceed, I knew I was onto something significant.
A couple of years later, I joined Exovolar as a co-founder, alongside Guanhao Wu, who shared the same vision - to make flight technology safe and accessible for everyone. At Exovolar, we are not just building jet suits; we are developing exoskeletons designed to make people fly. We want everyone to experience the dream of flight. We believe in a world where cultural and religious differences are dwarfed by our collective dreams of flight, space exploration, and teleportation. That's the world we're building at Exovolar.
What market are you attacking? Are you adding on or trying to replace current offerings?
As a company, we believe in the power of technology to redefine the realm of human experience and, ultimately, our conception of reality. Our primary venture is in the realm of immersive entertainment, which we are stepping into with our fully controllable jet suits. We have designed these suits to allow anyone the unforgettable experience of flight. Every child has dreamt of soaring in the skies; with Exovolar, this dream is no longer the realm of imagination but a thrilling, tangible reality.
We are not just adding onto existing offerings but are aiming to create an entirely new category of entertainment. We intend to popularize our technology through flight park facilities, where people can safely fly under a tethering system, similar to iFly Indoor Skydiving. By positioning ourselves as an amusement park attraction, we can bring our technology to the masses under the purview of amusement park regulations, avoiding the complexities of aircraft regulations. It's about creating an environment where flight is safe, scalable, and regulation-friendly, thereby fostering an experience that transcends the conventional bounds of entertainment.
On a parallel track, we are exploring the potential of our technology in the defense sector. We have received a Letter of Support from the United States Air Force expressing interest in our jet suit technology for search and rescue operations, first response, and reconnaissance. In situations where traditional aircraft cannot reach, first responders equipped with our jet suits could save hundreds of lives each year. However, these two markets are just the start of our journey. The dream of Exovolar extends beyond entertainment and defense – it's about unlocking the untapped expanse of our skies. We envision a future where cities rise into the heavens, sports evolve to include flight, and the boundary between ground and sky becomes fluid.
We have received a significant endorsement from public authorities, showcasing their interest in partnering with us, though we can't share more details at this moment. Starting with entertainment allows us to accumulate flight hours, create a path to regulate our technology, and further enhance the safety features of our jet suits. The ultimate goal? A world where everyone can safely experience the exhilarating freedom of flight in everyday life, transforming urban mobility as we know it.
What are you looking for from the Viaka community?
From the Viaka community, we seek much more than just investment or business networking opportunities. We are looking for fellow visionaries, disruptors, and trailblazers - those who refuse to accept the status quo and instead, persistently challenge it with the aim of reshaping the world for the better.
We are searching for individuals who possess an unyielding spirit of resilience and determination, the ones who never shy away from pushing boundaries. We are in search of those who share our belief in a world unencumbered by conflicts rooted in cultural or religious differences, those who stand tall against all odds to build a more harmonious and inclusive society.
At Exovolar, we believe in the transformative power of innovation, in the power of flight to transcend our earthly constraints and bring about a paradigm shift in our global society. We are keen to connect with those who resonate with this vision, who are ready to join us in this audacious endeavor of turning the dream of universal flight into a tangible reality.
Together, let's rise above the conventional and create a world that defies gravity and embraces a future unbounded by the limitations of the past.
Where will that take you?
Embracing our vision at Exovolar has led me on a global journey, across North America, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE, and beyond. Our mission isn't confined by geographic boundaries – we aim to instill the dream of flight in every corner of the world, and as such, we aspire to be a truly global entity.
To make this vision a reality, I am prepared to travel wherever it may be required. Whether it's to engage with our users, foster collaborations, or secure partnerships, I am ready to traverse the globe in search of advocates who share our dream and can aid in its realization.
Exovolar's journey isn't just about bringing an innovative product to market; it's about transforming our collective experience of mobility, unleashing a new era of personal freedom, and altering the landscape of human possibility. And this journey, we believe, will take us places we can only begin to imagine.
As we continue to forge ahead, our journey will be defined by not only the destinations we reach, but by the individuals we meet, the relationships we cultivate, and the lives we touch along the way. We are excited to see where this journey takes us, and we are committed to taking every step necessary to make the dream of universal flight a reality.
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Upcoming Events from Our Network & Beyond
Below is a list of upcoming events from the Viaka Network & beyond over the next couple of weeks!
Viaka’s Climate Tech Demo Day takes place this week. Hear five Network founders pitch their startups to four investors. Participants range from North America to the MENA region. Join the audience on July 18th.
MAGNITT is hosting a H1 Venture Report Webinar. Learn about the state of Venture funding in the MEAPT region through their excellent analysis of the first half of 2023. Webinar on July 20th.
Unshackled Ventures is launching Eighteen150, a chance for solo, first-time immigrant founders to receive a 150K investment for 10% equity, along with comprehensive immigration assistance and access to their community of fellow immigrant founders. Informational event on July 26th.
Viaka is hosting a panel on Palestine’s startup ecosystem. We've invited ecosystem leaders for an hourlong, virtual discussion to shed light on the good and the bad, the challenges and the reasons for optimism. Virtual panel on July 31st.
If you’d like to share an event in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
Reads of the Week
Viaka has launched a Network Reading List, where Network members are encouraged to submit media suggestions of their own.
Due Diligence Checklist for Pre-Seed Companies (Charles Hudson)
How startups can raise money in emerging markets today (Robin Butler, Network Member)
Secondaries in LP Stakes (Ali Hamed)
Check out Viaka’s full reading list here.
Weekly Wins!
Check out our weekly wins — where we shout out recent accomplishments of our Network members, every single Friday. Be sure to follow our LinkedIn and Twitter for more.
That’s it for this week. Thank you! 👋
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