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Australian aerospace technology company MAKO has closed out a $28 million Series A round to scale production of a drag-reducing shark skin-inspired adhesive film for aviation called Flightfilm.
Capital for MAKO, formerly MicroTau, is expected to be deployed to manufacture and deliver on commercial airline and defence Flightfilm pre-orders; while accelerating Flightfilm’s path to certification across key aviation markets.
The non-structural drag reduction film, installed during scheduled maintenance events for rapid deployment, is reportedly inspired by the microscopic skin texture of fast-swimming sharks and attempts to reduce friction drag and deliver fuel savings, lower emissions and reduced operating costs comparable to installing new jet engines.
It’s performance has reportedly been validated in flight testing with a net drag reduction of over 4 percent measured during US Air Force testing on a C-130J Super Hercules and is under contract for C-17 operational trials with the US Air Force.
“We're flight proven, manufacturing ready, and have commercial and defence customers lined up,” said MAKO chief executive officer Henry Bilinsky.
“This funding accelerates MAKO's mission as we complete certification, deliver to those customers, and scale production for the global aviation fleet.
“As the industry reels from a global fuel shock, one thing is clear: whether it's cutting emissions, increasing mission capability, or saving on an airline's biggest operating cost – efficiency never goes out of style.
“We are proud to have Virescent Ventures lead our Series A. Their team has backed us since our seed round and have been excellent partners. They understand the significance of our vision to make surfaces that replace the need for a new aircraft.
“It is exciting to have IAGi Ventures as a key strategic investor representing one of the largest airline groups in the world. As we complete product certification, MAKO will be leveraging their expertise from ground operations to airworthiness to ensure Flightfilm meets all airline customer needs.
“The coalition of Virescent Ventures, the CEFC, IAGi, Grok Ventures, IP Group, Zero Infinity Partners, TreeArc, and Skip Capital represents deep experience in backing deep tech, climate tech, and aviation tech companies solving hard problems at scale. Their investment represents not only conviction in MAKO and our technology, but a recognition of our mission: making aviation more efficient, not someday, but for the fleet flying today.”
Series A funding round led by Virescent Ventures with participation from International Airlines Group, Zero Infinity Partners, IP Group, Grok Ventures, Skip Capital, and TreeArc Investment Group.
“Like its namesake, MAKO is fast moving and ready to scale. We have a lot of conviction in this team having backed them across four rounds of investment since 2022,” according to Blair Pritchard, Partner at Virescent Ventures.
“MAKO meaningfully improves the efficiency of aircraft already in service. It's incredibly gratifying to see them winning contracts around the world with civilian and allied military aviation customers. We think this has the potential to be the biggest Australian aviation story since Qantas.”
In commercial aviation, MAKO has a partnership with Delta Air Lines under their Sustainable Skies Lab, and upcoming trials with major carriers in the Asia Pacific region.
In addition, International Airlines Group, one of the world’s leading aviation groups, will be conducting a pilot of Flightfilm with one of its airlines later this year.
Certification for Flightfilm on the Airbus A320 is expected within the year, together with the manufacturing approvals necessary to supply certified parts to commercial airline customers.
Robert Dougherty
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