Safran partners Hello Tomorrow, a challenge for innovative startups from around the world

Paris, September 20, 2016.

Safran is one of the sponsors of “Hello Tomorrow” (Aeronautics category), a challenge for innovative startups from around the world. On October 13 and 14, 2016, it will bring together the top startups in ten categories and several thousand people for a Global Summit.

Following an initial selection phase lasting several months, Safran chose seven startups from the aerospace sector to take part in this challenge.

• Helicity Technologies, an American company founded in 2013, has developed a superhydrophobic coating that prevents icing.
• Iris Automation, a Canadian company founded in September 2015, is developing vision software for drones, recreating in real time a 3D model of their environment.
• Innovative Mechatronic Systems, a Dutch company founded in 2015, is a spinoff from the University of Delft. It offers an innovative spiral reduction gear.
• Lilium Aviation, a German company founded in 2014, is developing a private electric aircraft featuring vertical takeoff and landing.
• Norimat, a French company founded in October 2015, is a spinoff of the national research agency CNRS/University of Toulouse III (CIRIMAT). It makes innovative high-performance ceramic materials.
• Safety-Line, a French company founded in 2010, offers airlines and airports solutions designed to optimize their operations, using big data analysis based on a technology jointly developed with the French digital research agency INRIA.
• SoundBounce, an Irish company founded in 2009, is offering a new material that more efficiently reduces noise, especially on jet engines. 

The startup chosen by the Aeronautics jury (comprising representatives of Safran and a venture capital firm, plus a young entrepreneur) will receive a prize of 15,000 euros to carry out their project. The winner of the Grand Prize, encompassing all categories, will receive 100 000 euros.

“It’s obviously going to be a very tough choice, because all projects presented by these startups have excellent possibilities in our sector,” said Laurent Deleville, head of Collaborative Innovation at Safran and a member of the Safran jury. 

According to Hélène de Cointet, co-head of Safran Corporate Ventures, “This event perfectly illustrates the tremendous potential for innovation in our business sectors and clearly reflects Safran’s policy of open innovation. By maintaining our ties to this exciting world of innovative startups, we can anticipate and capitalize on these future developments.”