Qantas and Airbus have jointly committed to invest AUD$15 million into Climate Tech Partners (CTP), a leading climate-focused venture capital fund, to support their shared ambition to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other aviation decarbonisation technologies.
The announcement was made in Sydney by Airbus Chief Sustainability Office Julie Kitcher and Qantas Chief Sustainability Officer Fiona Messent.
CTP's unique approach involves working closely with corporate partners to identify and support technology solutions tailored to aviation needs.
Qantas and Airbus' collaboration with CTP will help stimulate technological advancements in SAF, particularly in Australia, through a dedicated investment vehicle. It will focus on technologies for SAF production, feedstock development and other value-chain innovations and will sit alongside Climate Tech Partner's main fund. CTP will leverage the diverse skills and knowledge base of its group of 12 partners - made up of leaders in industries ranging from energy generation to infrastructure - to provide mentorship and strategic guidance to enable further collaboration.
This initiative will help bridge the gap that Qantas and Airbus have identified between early-stage climate technologies and at-scale commercial production in Australia.
Through this partnership, CTP will invest on behalf of Qantas and Airbus into leading local and global start-ups focused on SAF and other innovative technologies. As these solutions mature, Qantas and Airbus have the option to explore further follow-on and direct investments enabling deployment of the start-up's technologies in real-world Australian projects.
The investment will be made from Qantas and Airbus' US$200 million partnership which was established in 2022 to help accelerate SAF production.
Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer Julie Kitcher said: "Decarbonising aviation at speed and scale requires bold action and collaboration across sectors - from airlines, manufacturers and airports to regulators, governments and investors. This partnership with CTP and Qantas highlights that the scaling of Sustainable Aviation Fuel needs innovative solutions for a nascent technology that will drive innovation, attract investment and create new jobs in Australia, which I believe is well positioned to be a leader in low carbon fuels. At Airbus, we are honoured to be partnering with Qantas and now CTP to transform aviation for the long term."
Qantas Group Chief Sustainability Officer Fiona Messent said: "Sustainable aviation fuel is the most effective tool we have to decarbonise aviation and, with Airbus, we're investing significantly in ways to make it more available and accessible. As well as funding, this partnership will help provide a vote of confidence in new technologies so they can be developed, scaled and integrated in the SAF supply chain, while also providing companies with access to Qantas and Airbus as they develop and test their solutions.
"For Australia, an onshore SAF industry will mean improved national fuel security, more jobs and economic benefit, so it's fantastic to be collaborating across industries to help accelerate local production."
Patrick Sieb, Co-Founder, CTP said: "Working with global leading aviation and aerospace companies allows us to not only make more deeply informed investment decisions in this complex area but attract and support the best companies by helping them accelerate through industry engagement."
Climate Tech Partners specialises in investing in globally scalable technology solutions, primarily at the Series A stage, across the Energy & Power, Transport & Logistics, and Industrials & Resources sectors. By aligning with corporate partners like Qantas Airways and Airbus, Climate Tech Partners plays a vital role in accelerating the commercialisation of high-impact climate innovations. The BESEN Family Office is an investor in both Climate Tech Partners and CTP main fund.
Climate Tech Partners builds strong collaboration between its partners and the target investee companies to build knowledge and experience, facilitating better informed investment decisions and more targeted support for these start-ups.
