Low-cost eSAF developer Lydian raises $43m in financing round backed by BEV airline fund

US eSAF startup Lydian has announced the close of a $43 million Series A funding round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), which also marks the first investment by the oneworld BEV Fund, a strategic fund supported by leading airlines to boost the global availability of sustainable aviation fuels. The financing will support advancement of Lydian’s PIVOT production platform that the company says will enable developers to build and operate synthetic fuel facilities at lower cost than conventional approaches and also a direct path for customers to buy fuel from Lydian’s own future projects. Its technology is already operating a tonne-scale pilot plant, with a commercial demo plant targeted for operation in 2028 and full-scale deployment expected in 2030.

Participators in the financing round also included AP Ventures and Builders Vision, with continued support coming from existing investors Congruent Ventures, Galvanize, Grok Ventures, Overture, Union Square Ventures and Voyager Ventures.

“Decarbonising aviation will require advanced fuels that compete on cost, work within today’s aviation infrastructure and deliver the performance flyers and airlines expect,” commented Carmichael Roberts, Chief Investment Officer at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the venture capital fund founded by Bill Gates to accelerate cleantech development.

“Lydian is taking on that challenge with a purpose-built approach to synthetic aviation fuel production.”

Lydian claims PIVOT reduces plant capital costs by more than 50% compared to competing technologies and can deliver up to 95% lifecycle emissions reductions, which it says will create a commercially viable pathway for synthetic fuels to compete with biofuels on price “within this decade”.

The Boston-based company says many synthetic fuel projects adapt legacy gas-to-liquids technologies into large bespoke plants, whereas its platform is designed to take advantage of low-cost renewable electricity and modern power markets. The platform combines Lydian’s proprietary reactor technologies, catalysts, process design, software and balance-of-plant into standardised, factory-built modules. Lydian promises this will reduce complexity and improve economics, cutting project development timelines by up to two years.

“PIVOT represents a fundamentally different approach to synthetic fuel production,” said Joe Rodden, co-founder and CEO of Lydian. “By designing every part of the system for lower capital costs, greater operational flexibility and faster deployment, we’ve created a platform for commercially competitive synthetic fuel projects. This financing gives us the resources to  bring that vision to market.”

The oneworld airline alliance, which includes members such as American, Alaskan, IAG, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, as well as Star Alliance member Singapore Airlines, announced its partnership with BEV last year and established a $150 million investment fund. Breakthrough is the fund’s investment manager, contributing technical expertise and experience in backing startup climate technology companies.

Top photo: Lydian’s pilot plant at its R&D Center of Excellence in Boston, MA