Steam injection in aircraft engines isn’t a new idea, but Viraj Aero has raised $4.5M to make it work in practice. The round brings together IRDI Capital Investissement, Climate Founders, ARTS, OCSEED, and Bpifrance.
The French startup’s patented system bolts onto existing propulsion architectures, aiming to cut fuel burn and shrink aviation’s climate footprint by tackling both CO₂ and non-CO₂ effects. It’s designed to run on kerosene, SAF, or hydrogen, which means airlines could adopt it without waiting for a new fuel infrastructure. The fresh capital will help push the technology closer to real-world testing.


















