FutureFlight
Whisper Aero Raises $32 Million for Ultraquiet Electric Ducted Fans
Whisper Aero, a Tennessee start-up, spent the last two years developing a propulsion system that it says is quieter and more efficient than any other. Now it has finally revealed part of its secret: electric ducted fans.
A drone equipped with Whisper Aero's electric ducted fan is pictured in flight.
Whisper Aero validated its low-noise propulsion system in flight using a 55-pound demonstrator drone equipped with a 10-pound electric ducted fan. (Photo: Whisper Aero)

For two years, Whisper Aero has been quietly developing what it says will be the quietest and most efficient propulsion system on the market. Upon closing a $32 million Series A funding round last week, the company finally broke its silence to reveal some details about its ultra-low-noise thrusters. 

We now know that Whisper’s proprietary propulsion system is some kind of next-generation electric ducted fan that can be scaled for applications ranging from aircraft to leaf blowers. However, Whisper isn’t ready to divulge exactly what makes its ducted fan quieter and more efficient than anything else on the market.

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