What JetZero does

JetZero is a private aerospace company developing the Z4, a 250-passenger blended wing body (BWB) commercial aircraft designed to deliver up to 50% lower fuel burn, up to 4x reduced airport noise, and a 5,000-nautical-mile range. Founded in 2020 in Long Beach, California, by Tom O'Leary and Mark Page, the company is pursuing the first commercial all-wing airliner in the underserved middle-of-market segment between high-density single-aisle and larger twin-aisle aircraft. The Z4 platform extends to a Z4F freighter, a KC-Z4 aerial refueling tanker, and a military transport variant. The company is pre-revenue with commercial entry into service targeted for the early 2030s; current development is anchored by a full-scale USAF demonstrator (built with Scaled Composites, using Pratt & Whitney PW2040 engines and Collins Aerospace nacelles) targeting first flight in 2027 and a sub-scale Pathfinder program that received FAA airworthiness certification in March 2024.

The business model is enterprise sales of multi-billion-dollar aircraft hardware, structured as conditional purchase agreements gated to milestones such as the 2027 demonstrator flight. JetZero has secured a $235 million U.S. Air Force contract (2023), a $175 million Series B (January 2026, led by B Capital with participation from United Airlines Ventures, Northrop Grumman, 3M Ventures, RTX Ventures, and others), and conditional purchase commitments with United Airlines (up to 200 aircraft) and Alaska Airlines. Approximately 14 airlines participate in the Airline Working Group. Manufacturing is being built out at an 8-million-square-foot, AI-native Factory One in Greensboro, North Carolina — a $4.7 billion investment supported by up to $1.02 billion in state incentives — designed to produce up to 20 Z4 aircraft per month at full run rate by the late 2030s. The Greensboro project is the largest economic development initiative in North Carolina history.

The technology stack pairs the proprietary BWB airframe (carbon fiber composite, top-mounted engines) with a digital engineering and smart-factory backbone built on Siemens Xcelerator and Altair FlightStream, enabling GPU-accelerated CFD and a full digital twin of the factory before construction. A deep supplier ecosystem (Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, BAE Systems, ST Engineering MRAS, Hexcel, Scaled Composites, 3M) shares R&D risk and shapes the certification pathway alongside NASA (AACES 2050) and the FAA. The leadership team is staffed with veterans from Boeing, Airbus, Gulfstream, Bombardier, Northrop Grumman, and former FAA and U.S. Air Force officials, including Chief Design Officer Dr. John Vassberg (elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2025) and Rob Dewar, the "Father of the A220," on the board.

Name

JetZero

Legal name

JetZero, Inc.

Website

https://jetzero.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

JetZero is a private aerospace startup developing the Z4, a 250-passenger blended wing body airliner targeting up to 50% lower fuel burn, backed by a $235M USAF contract, conditional orders from United and Alaska, and a 2027 demonstrator flight target.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Business & General Aviation Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Military Fixed-Wing Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAB)

Keywords

• Blended wing body aircraft
• Commercial airliner development
• Military tanker aircraft
• Aerospace manufacturing
• Fuel efficient airplanes

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Future commercial aircraft sales (not yet revenue-generating): Pre-revenue; commercial entry into service targeted for the early 2030s. Revenue will ultimately derive from one-time aircraft hardware sales to airlines, with conditional purchase agreements in place (United Airlines: 100 firm + 100 options; Alaska Airlines: options for future orders). Approximately 14 airlines are members of the Airline Working Group providing design input.
2. Government contracts (U.S. Air Force demonstrator program): $235 million U.S. Air Force contract awarded in 2023 to fast-track development of the full-scale commercial/military demonstrator with first flight in 2027; covers research, design, build and flight test of the demonstrator aircraft including tanker and transport variants.
3. State and local economic development incentives: Up to $1.02 billion in state incentive reimbursements tied to meeting hiring and investment targets at the Greensboro, NC facility; includes a Transformative-class Job Development Investment Grant and up to $450 million in state infrastructure support. Recognized as the largest ever State-level incentive package for any startup of any industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JetZero is developing the Z4, a 250-passenger blended wing body (BWB) all-wing commercial airliner with up to 5,000 nautical mile range and up to 50% better fuel efficiency than comparable tube-and-wing jets, alongside military (KC-Z4 tanker, transport) and freighter (Z4F) variants. The aircraft is supported by the Pathfinder sub-scale demonstrator program, a full-scale USAF Demonstrator built with Scaled Composites targeting first flight in 2027, and a planned $4.7 billion AI-native smart factory in Greensboro, NC producing up to 20 Z4s per month at full run rate.

Product overview

JetZero is an American aerospace company developing a single, unified product platform — the Z4 all-wing (blended wing body) commercial aircraft — supplemented by a portfolio of clearly differentiated sub-products and supporting programs. The core offering is the Z4, a ~250-passenger, 5,000-nautical-mile commercial airliner promising up to 50% better fuel efficiency than current tube-and-wing jets, targeted for commercial entry in the early 2030s. The Z4 platform is extended through named sub-products for adjacent markets: the Z4F freighter variant, the KC-Z4 aerial refueling tanker, and a military transport variant (the latter two together backed by a $235 million U.S. Air Force contract). The product portfolio is supported by the Demonstrator full-scale prototype (built in partnership with Scaled Composites, on track for first flight in 2027), the Pathfinder sub-scale flight test program (AV1/AV2, FAA airworthiness-certified), and test labs including the Flying Qualities Lab (FQL) and Integrated Test Facility (ITF). Manufacturing is anchored by Factory One, an 8 million-square-foot AI-native smart factory being built in Greensboro, NC, designed as a digital twin using Siemens Xcelerator and Deloitte platforms. Together these products form a vertically integrated development pipeline — Pathfinder scaled tests inform the Demonstrator, which validates the Z4 commercial design manufactured at the Greensboro factory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Z4: The company's all-wing blended-wing-body commercial aircraft, designed for 250 passengers with a 5,000-nautical-mile range and up to 50% better fuel efficiency than tube-and-wing airliners.

Products and services

• Z4 Blended Wing Body Commercial Airliner The Z4 is a 250-passenger middle-of-market commercial airliner with up to 5,000 nautical mile range, up to 50% lower fuel burn, up to 4x reduced noise pollution, and a six passenger bay cabin layout. Configured to fit existing airport infrastructure (jet bridges, runways, taxiways). Targeted for commercial entry into service in the early 2030s for major airlines.
• Z4F Freighter
• KC-Z4 Military Aerial Refueling Tanker Military aerial refueling tanker with 5,000 nautical mile range, 45,000 ft service ceiling, and higher capacity tanks. The all-wing design offers twice the range or twice the payload of competitors and accounts for approximately 60% of U.S. Air Force annual jet fuel consumption when combined with the transport variant. Sold to the U.S. Air Force.
• Z4 Military Transport Military transport aircraft based on the Z4 blended wing platform that supports rapidly surging and deploying forces, increases payload delivery, and mitigates logistics risks to the warfighter. Adaptable to any mission with enhanced operational reach, optionality, and flexibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% lower fuel burn vs. today's commercial jets (Z4 target)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship smart-factory consulting partner, core architecture and interior design partner, core propulsion component supplier, core co-development partner, core workforce development partner, core composite materials partner, core engineering software partner, flagship demonstrator build partner, flagship propulsion partner, flagship nacelle and propulsion integration partner, flagship strategic airline partner, flagship strategic technology partner, core flight control systems supplier, flagship government r&d partner, core airline partner and flagship government customer and co-development partner.

• Deloitteflagship smart-factory consulting partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 June 2026Deloitte is co-designing and helping implement advanced smart manufacturing solutions at JetZero's Greensboro facility (drawing on its Smart Factory @ Wichita experience) and is expanding its Believers workforce development program into Guilford County, reaching ~5,000 students and educators.
• Cline Design Associatescore architecture and interior design partnerImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 June 2026Cline is providing architecture, interior design and technical expertise for the renovation of The Hub (Greensboro HQ, 108,000 sqft, completion early 2027) and JetZero's Long Beach Design Center campus.
• ST Engineering MRAScore propulsion component supplierTechnology or Integration · 6 January 2026ST Engineering MRAS selected to design and manufacture the metal exhaust nozzle for JetZero's full-scale all-wing demonstrator aircraft; work leverages MRAS's digitally connected Baltimore facility.
• SHZ Advanced Technologiescore co-development partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2025France-based SHZ Advanced Technologies (with 14 proprietary patents for LH2 storage and distribution) is adapting its patented liquid hydrogen storage and distribution technologies for a potential Z4 LH2 variant under the NASA AACES project; wider Z4 fuselage is uniquely compatible with LH2 tanks.
• Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC)core workforce development partnerOthers · 17 June 2025$35M, 70,000 sqft aviation training facility at PTI, with groundbreaking in summer 2025 and opening spring 2027; programs tailored to JetZero's manufacturing needs.
• North Carolina Community College System (NCEdge)core workforce development partnerOthers · 12 June 2025Customized workforce training program valued at over $30M delivered through the NCEdge program to staff the Greensboro facility over a 10-year ramp-up period.
• Hexcelcore composite materials partnerTechnology or Integration · 2 May 2025Hexcel is partnering with JetZero under the FAA's FAST program to qualify composite materials for JetZero's all-wing design aircraft development program, with potential spillover into wind, hydrogen pressure vessels and urban air mobility.
• Altaircore engineering software partnerTechnology or Integration · 20 March 2025Altair's FlightStream CFD tool (now part of Siemens' HyperWorks 2026) is used by JetZero to perform advanced computational fluid dynamics simulations, reduce computational costs, and accelerate aerodynamic design iteration.
• Scaled Composites (Northrop Grumman subsidiary)flagship demonstrator build partnerTechnology or Integration · 6 March 2025Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, is building JetZero's full-scale USAF Demonstrator targeted for first flight in 2027.
• Pratt & Whitney (RTX)flagship propulsion partnerTechnology or Integration · 6 March 2025Pratt & Whitney is supplying the PW2040 engine and leading propulsion/airframe integration for the Z4; Pratt & Whitney Canada is supplying the APS3200 auxiliary power unit for the demonstrator; first flight targeted for 2027.
• Collins Aerospace (RTX)flagship nacelle and propulsion integration partnerTechnology or Integration · 6 March 2025Collins Aerospace is designing and supplying nacelle structures and propulsion mounting structures for the JetZero BWB demonstrator, enabling smaller, narrow-body engines to deliver wide-body passenger capacity and range.
• Delta Air Linesflagship strategic airline partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Delta joined JetZero's Sustainable Skies Lab and partnered on designing a 50% more fuel-efficient aircraft for domestic and international routes; Delta also supports the JetZero USAF demonstrator program and contributes airline design input.
• Siemensflagship strategic technology partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2025Siemens is JetZero's primary digital-twin and smart-factory partner, providing the Xcelerator portfolio (industrial software and AI) across the aircraft and factory life cycle. The partnership spans the Long Beach design center and the $4.7B Greensboro plant (designed as a digital twin before construction) and was showcased at CES 2025 and the Paris Air Show.
• BAE Systemscore flight control systems supplierTechnology or Integration · 19 December 2024BAE Systems will provide actuator control units (ACUs), active control sidesticks and energy-storage systems for JetZero's demonstrator; work performed in Endicott, NY. BAE is a world leader in active sidestick technology with 25+ years of experience.
• NASAflagship government r&d partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2024NASA's AACES 2050 (Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability 2050) initiative awarded JetZero part of $11.5M in late 2024 to study cryogenic liquid hydrogen and other technologies for next-generation low-emission commercial aircraft concepts; studies expected to complete by mid-2026.
• easyJetcore airline partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2024easyJet joined forces with JetZero to develop blended wing body aircraft for commercial aviation and contributes airline design input through JetZero's Airline Working Group.
• U.S. Air Forceflagship government customer and co-development partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2023$235M contract awarded in 2023 to fast-track the full-scale commercial demonstrator with first flight in 2027; includes development of military KC-Z4 aerial refueler and transport variants. Tanker and transport missions account for ~60% of USAF total annual jet fuel consumption.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Boeing: Global incumbent commercial aircraft manufacturer with the 737 MAX, 787, and a future new middle-market airplane (NMA). Boeing has substantial BWB heritage (X-48, Phantom Works) and JetZero's leadership team is largely Boeing alumni, making it the most direct incumbents-to-be benchmark and competitor.
• Lockheed Martin Skunk Works: Advanced defense aircraft division behind the F-22, F-35, and historically the Have Blue BWB demonstrator. Comparable as a BWB pioneer and a likely competitor for the USAF KC-Z4 tanker/transport program that is core to JetZero's defense revenue thesis.
• Airbus: Global incumbent commercial aircraft manufacturer whose A321XLR, A330, and future single-aisle replacement directly compete for the same middle-of-market segment JetZero targets. Airbus has decades of internal BWB research and could counter JetZero's offering with either a new tube-and-wing or hybrid architecture.
• Northrop Grumman: US defense prime with operational BWB experience (B-2 Spirit, B-21 Raider) and JetZero's Series B investor and demonstrator build partner via Scaled Composites. Comparable as the only company currently flying production BWB aircraft, giving it unmatched real-world BWB operational data relevant to JetZero's commercial program.
• Bombardier: Canadian business-jet and former CSeries/A220 manufacturer. Highly comparable because JetZero's Head of Engineering (Florentina Viscotchi) and advisor Rob Dewar ('Father of the A220') both come from Bombardier, and Bombardier pioneered the clean-sheet middle-market approach JetZero is attempting at larger scale.

Others

• GKN Aerospace: Tier 1 aerospace supplier with deep composites and aerostructures experience (including BWB demonstrators with NASA and others). Comparable as a potential supplier, partner, or competitor for the composite wing-fuselage structures central to JetZero's Z4 platform.
• Spirit AeroSystems: Major Tier 1 airframe structures supplier for Boeing/Airbus and JetZero talent pipeline (Head of Structures Kevin Brauning ex-Spirit). Comparable as a partner/competitor for large-scale composite airframe work that JetZero's all-wing structure will require at industrial scale.

Direct peers

• Boom Supersonic: Direct next-generation commercial aircraft startup developing the Overture supersonic airliner for airline service. Closely comparable as a venture-backed, pre-revenue OEM targeting a clean-sheet commercial design with conditional airline orders (United, American, Japan Airlines) and a factory build (Greensboro-adjacent, no less — both at PTI).
• Embraer: Brazilian commercial aircraft manufacturer whose E2 regional jets and proposed turboprop/propulsion-aircraft concepts target the lower end of the same middle-of-market segment JetZero addresses. Comparable as a non-OEM-leader attempting to disrupt Boeing/Airbus dominance with smaller, more efficient airframes.

Emerging players

• Aurora Flight Sciences (Boeing): Boeing subsidiary developing D8 and other BWB/conventional hybrid concepts as a NASA AACES 2050 co-awardee. Comparable as a competing BWB research effort inside an incumbent that could become the incumbent's commercial counter to JetZero if/when Boeing launches its own middle-market clean-sheet program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JetZeroAero
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jetzero
• Instagraminstagram.com/jetzero_official

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles33 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors15 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JetZero