Spark e-Fuels, a climate tech startup developing cost-effective Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), has raised €2.3 million ($2.4 million) in a pre-seed round to accelerate its e-fuel production technology.

Tackling Aviation’s Carbon Footprint

Aviation emissions are largely driven by fuel consumption. While SAF is key to decarbonizing the sector, its production from plant-based feedstock presents challenges such as:

Supply constraints competing with food production
High costs compared to fossil fuels
Limited adoption, making up just 0.53% of global aviation fuel in 2024

E-fuels—synthetic fuels produced using renewable energy—offer a promising alternative but face challenges due to intermittent renewable energy supply.

Spark’s Breakthrough: Cost-Effective E-Fuels

Founded in 2021, Spark e-Fuels has developed a demand-responsive, load-flexible e-fuel technology that:

Integrates directly with the lowest-cost renewables
Decouples key production steps to adjust for fluctuations in solar and wind availability
Reduces production costs while ensuring stable fuel output

The technology has broader potential beyond aviation, including decarbonizing chemical industries transitioning to electrification.

Funding to Fuel Growth

The funding round was led by Nucleus Capital, with participation from Zero Carbon Capital, IBB Ventures, Chemovator, Voyagers.io, and 1.5° Ventures. The investment will support Spark’s pilot plant construction and team expansion.

“For sustainable aviation fuel to become the industry standard, production must be both scalable and cost-competitive.”

– Mathias Bösl, CEO & Co-Founder, Spark e-Fuels

“Spark’s approach is essential not only for SAF but also for the broader chemical industry’s decarbonization.”

– Isabella Fandrych, General Partner, Nucleus Capital

As demand for low-carbon aviation solutions rises, Spark e-Fuels is positioning itself at the forefront of next-gen SAF innovation.