French aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO held a press conference at its Toulouse, France, headquarters on April 8, 2026, in which it provided an update on the three different clean sheet aircraft programs it is working on: the INTEGRAL light trainer aircraft (with a conventional and an all-electric versions), the ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft and the ENBATA military drone.
€340 million in funding
During the conference, AURA AERO confirmed it has raised €340 million from public and private sources to date in order to continue pursuing its multi-pronged development strategy.
Of these funds, €50 million have been raised in the form of equity, €120 million correspond to public subsidies received in France and €170 million have come from the state of Florida, to support the construction of a second assembly line in the United States.
Safran Corporate Ventures, EDF, the European Innovation Council Fund, INNOVACOM, Florida Opportunity Fund, Bpifrance, and BLAST an investment platform affiliated with French entrepreneur Anthony Bourbon, are among the investors that are contributing to this new funding round.
Dual geography, dual market
The French startup is following a dual growth strategy when it comes to both, geography and product. AURA AERO is targeting both the defense and civilian markets (with the INTEGRAL and ERA aircraft having also military versions) as well as simultaneous industrial development projects in France and the United States.
The company’s founder and CEO, Jéremy Caussade explained that while the corporate headquarters and several functions will remain in France, the company’s Florida plant will employ a staff of around 1,000 and produce both the INTEGRAL and ERA aircraft.
Thie volume of production in Florida will be comparable to the one AURA AERO targets for its main plant at Toulouse-Francazal of 50 and 100 aircraft per year, for the INTEGRAL and ERA aircraft respectively.
The finalization of this greenfield facility, which will employ around 1,500 people and will be built to the latest environmental standards, will be contingent on the completion of fund raising. If everything goes according to plan, it is expected to be laid out towards the end of 2026 after having received the required planning and construction permits from the local authorities.
Caussade highlighted the agility with which the company’s growth plans had been handled by the US authorities. The US is expected to become the top market for the INTEGRAL family of aircraft, which includes thermal and electric propulsion versions. The INTEGRAL’s price point, around €450,000, is considered very competitive in the US market for an aircraft of its category and performance, explained Caussade.
ENBATA and the European MALE gap
In parallel to this, AURA AERO is also betting strongly on the new drive for sovereign rearmament in Europe.
The ENBATA Medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone is the company’s flagship product for this segment of the market, in which Europe lacks a credible alternative for the US, Turkish and Israeli products, explained Caussade.
France’s reported withdrawal from the Eurodrone program has only widened that gap, and ENBATA is one of five competing French programs currently in development with the support of the French DGA.
ENBATA will be ITAR-free and will count with the participation of a number of European companies across the value chain, such as Safran, Thales, Soben, which will produce the undercarriage and landing gear, and Merio, a French manufacturer of gimbals.
Caussade highlighted that AURA AERO is aiming to make a better alternative to the US-made MQ-9 Reaper, emphasizing that it will adapt to European needs by being not only cheaper but also smaller and more versatile.
