IonQ invests in maker of hydrogen-powered drones

IonQ, the quantum computing company that unveiled its federal arm in September, has invested in a maker of unmanned aerial systems and related solutions as a means to further enhance how drones operate.

Heven AeroTech opened for business in 2019 to incorporate hydrogen fuel cells into drones as part of efforts to increase their flying times and distances.

As Heven’s co-founder and CEO Ben Levinson told us in 2023, electric and battery systems have limitations that require different approaches to how these vehicles are powered. The company designs its drones to fly for at least 10 hours at a time and 600-mile distances on hydrogen fuel.

Through the investment announced Monday, IonQ will provide its quantum sensors and other similar technologies to Heven for integration into the vehicles. One idea behind their partnership is to give operators an alternative to traditional precision, navigation and timing systems for use in GPS-denied or -limited environments that are contested.

“IonQ’s quantum technologies are a natural fit for our hydrogen-powered aerial platforms,” Heven’s Levinson said in a release. “This partnership enables us to push the boundaries of endurance, autonomy, and security in ways previously thought impossible. Together, we’re building a new generation of uncrewed systems that can thrive in contested environments and deliver critical capabilities for the missions that matter most.”

Heven is entering this pact following its receipt of a Defense Innovation Unit “Select” certification for its Blue UAS, meaning the drone has that agency’s highest-available designation.

Heven opened its U.S. headquarters in Sterling, Virginia, in October as part of the company’s push to scale its drone production capacity.

For IonQ, the partnership is its means to gain a greater footing in certain aspects of the aerospace domain such as fleet routing and satellite imagery data fusion. IonQ acquired imagery satellite operator Capella Space in the spring as part of that push to bring quantum tech into Earth observation.

Jordan Shapiro, general manager of quantum networking at IonQ, will join Heven’s board of directors via the agreement.