California supersonic aircraft startup is now selling its intellectual property

A Californian aviation startup that spent years developing a supersonic aircraft is now selling its patents after going bankrupt.

Exosonic raised millions of dollars to develop the jet, which aimed to be both quieter and greener than Concorde.

The company was working on next-generation planes that offered quieter high-speed travel, without the disruptive sonic boom.

This would mean that the jets could fly over land, something traditional supersonics are banned from doing in numerous countries, including the US.

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The startup hoped to introduce quieter supersonic flights

Since Concorde took its final flight back in 2003, there have been no commercial supersonic flights. 

This is due, in part, to many countries banning such planes from flying over land because of the noise caused by the sonic boom.

There are several companies, including the Denver-based Boom Supersonic, that are working to create quieter planes that will be able to fly over land.

Exosonic, which was founded in 2019, was also working in the same space.

The company worked on three unique aircraft, including its flagship Horizon quiet commercial airliner, which would be capable of hitting speeds of 1.8 Mach.

To give you some context, Exosonic said Horizon would cut flight times between Los Angeles to New York in half, from six hours to just three.

It is now selling its intellectual property

Back in April announced it had successfully completed its first test flight for an unmanned supersonic jet.

However, a little over six months later, the company has confirmed it is ‘winding down’ after more than five years of ‘chasing the pursuits of quiet supersonic travel and supersonic drone development’.

In a post shared on the Exosonic website earlier this month, the company said its founders and team ‘still believe in the need/desire for quiet supersonic flight’ but that without ‘further customer support’ it was unable to continue making further advancements.

The lengthy statement went on to say that it was now offering its intellectual property (IP) up for sale, meaning the concepts of the planes could be thrown a lifeline if the right buyer came along.

Whether any company will step up and purchase the IP is another matter, but it seems like it could be one to watch.