The vision of the Sustainable Aero Lab is to make a new age of aviation a reality.
We do this by bringing together startups with experienced mentors and investors in live sessions and one-to-one coaching as well as opening doors and finding customers, new projects and partners. Participation in the Lab is free to all startups and admissions are rolling, without deadlines.
In addition, Sustainable Aero Lab serves as a platform where publicly discuss and promote zero-emission aviation technologies, including developments such as SAF and hydrogen.
Founding Partners of the Sustainable Aero Lab
Density Ventures is a globally operating investment company, founded by serial entrepreneur Stephan Uhrenbacher, who also serves as CEO of the Sustainable Aero Lab. Stephan is the founder of numerous successful companies, including Qype (50M USD exit to Yelp), Avocadostore, and 9flats. He serves in the advisory board of Lufthansa Innovation Hub and is an experienced mentor at the Creative Destruction Labs in Toronto, Oxford, and Paris, where he was inspired to launch the Sustainable Aero Lab.
ZAL - Center of Applied Aeronautical Research is one of the world’s leading innovation hubs for civil aviation and a public-private partnership uniting key players in German aerospace. The ZAL TechCenter in Hamburg brings together over 600 experts from more than 30 companies, including Airbus, Diehl, DLR, Fraunhofer, Liebherr, Lufthansa Technik, and Safran. Its cutting-edge facilities feature an AI Lab, Europe’s largest aerospace acoustics chamber, Additive Manufacturing infrastructure, as well as advanced hydrogen technologies.
Sponsors of the Sustainable Aero Lab
The Hamburg Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Innovation plays a central role in promoting and developing economic activities as well as supporting innovation. Its responsibilities cover a wide range of activities, from providing financial support and advisory services for start-ups and established businesses to shaping economic policy frameworks and promoting international trade relations. Through close cooperation with government bodies, business associations, research institutions, and civil society, the ministry makes a decisive contribution to strengthening economic dynamism.
Breakthrough Energy Fellows is a global climate-tech accelerator program run by Breakthrough Energy - an initiative founded to speed the development and commercialization of transformative clean energy and decarbonization technologies. It supports early-stage climate innovators - scientists, engineers, startups, and business experts - with funding, mentorship, entrepreneurial training, and access to a global network to help bring breakthrough technologies toward market. Its focus is on innovations that can meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions at scale and help accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.
Embraer-X is a venture builder and Embraer’s innovation agent that transforms ideas into innovative businesses, transcending the aviation market and igniting the innovation ecosystem. Crafting a transformative path, it aims for a positive global impact, developing solutions that inspire true grit and foster change. Anchored in three core pillars - Sustainable by Design, Integrated Mobility, and Airborne Info-Systems, Embraer-X epitomizes commitment to innovation and impactful transformation.