Airborne Technology
Airborne Technology (Airborne Aerospace B.V.) engineers and manufactures high-end composite structures and supplies digital automation systems (Automated Ply Placement, Kit by Light, Automated Programming) to aerospace, space, automotive, marine, and big-science customers. Founded 1995 in The Hague, Netherlands, with ~135-150 employees across NL and UK sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersThe Hague, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Airborne Technology does
Airborne Technology, legally Airborne Aerospace B.V. (previously Airborne International), is a Netherlands-headquartered private company founded in 1995 that engineers, manufactures, and supplies high-end composite structures and the automation systems used to produce them. The company operates two divisions: Airborne Aerospace, which provides qualified composite manufacturing services for aerospace, mobility, marine, and big-science markets, and Airborne Composites Automation, which develops and sells digital automation systems including Automated Ply Placement (APP), Kit by Light, Automated Edge Sealing, Automated Kitting, Automated Tape Laying, Automated Programming software, and bespoke integrated cells. Manufacturing is delivered from a 13m-autoclave-equipped facility in The Hague, an automation facility at Ypenburg, and a UK site at Membury Airfield, Lambourn, with additional on-site deployments at Airbus Getafe (Spain), Airbus Helicopters Donauwörth (Germany) and Le Bourget (France), and Teijin's Pouancé plant (France). The company generates revenue through three streams: (1) contract manufacturing of composite parts, (2) sale or rental of automation systems via a Manufacturing-as-a-Service model, and (3) industrialisation consultancy. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers include Airbus (multiple divisions), GKN Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, MDA Space, Airbus Helicopters, Porsche AG, Teijin Automotive Technologies, ATG Europe, Ascendance Flight Technologies, CPI Vertex Antennentechnik, Toray Advanced Composites, and Solvay. The go-to-motion combines enterprise field sales with active presence at industry events (JEC World, Space Symposium, Space Tech Expo, CAMX). The company has approximately 135-150 employees split between the Netherlands and the UK and is growing around 50% per year, supported by EUR 16 million in European Investment Bank venture debt (April 2022) earmarked to create 114 high-skilled jobs.
Airborne Technology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Airborne Technology
- Legal name
- Airborne Aerospace B.V.
- Website
- https://airborne.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Airborne Technology (Airborne Aerospace B.V.) engineers and manufactures high-end composite structures and supplies digital automation systems (Automated Ply Placement, Kit by Light, Automated Programming) to aerospace, space, automotive, marine, and big-science customers. Founded 1995 in The Hague, Netherlands, with ~135-150 employees across NL and UK sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Airborne Technology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Composite Manufacturing and Automation
- NAICS
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Aircraft Manufacturing (336411)
- SIC
- Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Composite Structures & Layup Manufacturing (IMABAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Structural Assemblies & Integration (Airframe Subassemblies) (IMABAEAD), Military Aircraft Structures, Airframes & Composites (IMABAMAH), Nacelles, Fairings & Aerodynamic Structures (IMABAEAE)
Keywords
Where Airborne Technology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- The Hague
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Airborne Technology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Manufacturing of Composite Parts: Airborne manufactures high-end composite products for aerospace, space, automotive, marine, and renewable energy industries. As a fully qualified composites manufacturing company, they produce components either directly through advanced manufacturing or by developing industrialization packages implemented at manufacturers of choice.
- Automation Systems Sales and Rental: Airborne offers its automation systems (APP, Kit by Light, Automated Programming) for purchase or rent. Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) business model enables customers to buy or rent automation systems. Customizable nature allows customers to define automated cell features.
- Industrialisation Consultancy: Consultancy services supporting customers through the industrialization journey from design to manufacturing strategy and material selection. Includes cutting room consultancy, benchmarking performance, and free assessments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Quality Controller position |
| Subscription | Monthly | Production Employee position |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Airborne Technology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Airborne Technology manufactures high-end composite (CFRP) structures and develops proprietary digital automation systems for the composites industry. The company operates two business lines: Airborne Aerospace, which produces qualified composite parts for aircraft, satellites, launchers, automotive and scientific applications; and Airborne Composites Automation, which sells or rents automation systems such as Automated Ply Placement (APP), Kit by Light, Automated Edge Sealing, and Automated Programming software to industrialize customers' composite manufacturing. Customers include Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, MDA Space, Porsche and Teijin.
Product overview
Airborne Technology is a technology leader in advanced composites automation and manufacturing, operating through two business divisions: Airborne Composites Automation (ACA) and Airborne Aerospace (AA). ACA develops and supplies digital automation systems for composite manufacturing, including Kit by Light (light-based kitting guidance), Automated Ply Placement (APP - robotic preforming), Automated Edge Sealing, Automated Kitting, Automated Programming software, Cutting Room Operations, and System Integration & Bespoke Systems. Airborne Aerospace provides manufacturing services for aerospace, mobility, marine, and big science markets using composite materials. The portfolio integrates hardware automation with software-driven solutions, enabling customers to achieve high production rates at low conversion costs. The company also offers Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) and Industrialisation Consultancy as supporting services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kit by Light: Light-guided system for ply offloading, sorting and sequencing in composite manufacturing - supports operators with visual guidance for accurate kitting operations
- Automated Ply Placement (APP)
- Automated Tape Laying (ATL)
- Automated Laminating Cell (ALC)
- Automated Edge Sealing
- Automated Programming
Products and services
- Kit by Light Automated light-guided kitting system that supports operators in picking, sorting and sequencing composite plies from the cutter without requiring programming. Reduces material waste and operator time. Sold to aerospace, space, automotive and motorsport customers including Airbus Helicopters (Donauwörth, Le Bourget) and an F1 racing team.
- Automated Ply Placement (APP) Robotically operated automated preforming technology that cuts composite materials into ply shapes, inspects them via vision systems, and places plies with high accuracy to create multi-material tailored blank laminates prior to resin transfer molding. Qualified by Airbus for serial A350 production.
- Automated Edge Sealing Automated resin dispensing system that applies resin precisely along composite part edges, with automatic 3D robot path planning to handle various part geometries. Used in preform and laminate production lines.
- Digital Efficiency Software and digital automation solutions that optimize composite manufacturing processes through digital integration, enabling flexible, programmable production without manual coding.
- Automated Programming Software platform that translates design and operational input directly into robot code and process settings, enabling fully automated composite manufacturing without human programming.
- System Integration & Bespoke Systems Custom automation solutions combining modular building blocks or new systems, integrating Airborne's proprietary equipment with third-party hardware into end-to-end composite manufacturing lines for customers such as GKN Aerospace.
- Cutting Room Operations Modular portfolio of automated kitting solutions including Cobot offloading, automated programming and dynamic buffer storage systems for efficient ply handling in composite cutting rooms.
- Automated Laminating Cell (ALC) Custom automation cell combining Automated Tape Laying (ATL), automatic cutting of the master laminate into blanks, and Pick & Place for truss geometry assembly — developed for complex CFRP components such as telescope mirror support structures.
- Automated Kitting Stand-alone and integrated systems for automated sorting and sequencing of composite plies into kits, featuring camera-based recognition, buffer storage and multi-material kit support.
- Aerospace Composite Manufacturing Contract manufacturing services for composite aerospace structures using prepreg, dry fibre and thermoplastics. Capabilities include 13m autoclave, cleanroom, ovens, machining, automated ply placement, automated tape laying, automated kitting, automated edge sealing, painting and bonding. Customers include Airbus, GKN Aerospace, MDA Space, Airbus Helicopters, Lockheed Martin, ATG Europe and Ascendance Flight Technologies.
- Mobility Composite Manufacturing Contract manufacturing services for composite parts in automotive and other mobility applications, using automated processes for high-rate CFRP production. Delivered full composite doors for Porsche AG via Teijin Automotive Technologies.
- Marine Composite Manufacturing Contract manufacturing services for composite marine structures and components, including hull structures and durable lightweight parts.
- Big Science Composite Manufacturing Contract manufacturing services for large-scale scientific equipment including telescope structures, with capabilities for ultra-high precision CFRP components such as Mirror Support Structures for the ALMA, FYST and SOLAT telescopes.
- Industrialisation Consultancy Consultancy services supporting customers through the industrialization journey from design to manufacturing strategy and material selection, including cutting room consultancy, benchmarking performance, and free assessments.
- Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) Flexible engagement model enabling customers to buy or rent Airborne's automation systems (APP, Kit by Light, Automated Programming, etc.) with customizable features and service options rather than purchasing outright.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 20% material savings using Kit by Light system
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Airborne Technology
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Airborne Technology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Airborne Technology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Lockheed MartincoreStrategic collaboration on next-generation composites automation under 'Enhancing the digital thread for composites manufacturing' project. Lockheed Martin shares technical knowledge with Airborne to develop automated laminating and kitting systems. Project focuses on higher production output, enhanced inspection systems, broader material compatibility, and improved software integration.
- Airbus HelicopterscoreLetter of Intent signed to adopt Airborne's digital automation technologies (Automated Ply Placement and Kit by Light) for Le Bourget factory in France. Focus on optimizing manufacturing efficiency and output of composite rotor hubs and helicopter blades.
- ATG EuropecorePartnership for development of ultralight grid-stiffened composite structures for launcher applications. Combines ATG's patented design innovations with Airborne's automated manufacturing expertise to create efficient architecture for both high performance and manufacturability.
- FIDAMCcoreStrategic partnership for joint R&D activities focused on innovating and enhancing manufacturing processes for composite materials, particularly for future aircraft programs in commercial and defense sectors. Collaboration addresses automating production of small to medium-sized composite parts.
- Toray Advanced CompositesstrategicLong-term supply agreement for advanced composite materials for solar array substrates for mega-constellation satellites. Toray supplies space-qualified epoxy-based carbon fiber-reinforced materials manufactured from their European Centre of Excellence in Langley Mill, UK.
- Airbus NetherlandscoreSelected by Airbus Netherlands to supply 700 high-precision composite substrate panels for MDA AURORA satellite constellations Sparkwing solar arrays. Partnership combines aerospace expertise with highly automated composite production technologies.
- Airbus Helicopters GermanystrategicSelected to supply fully digital Kit by Light systems for cutting and kitting of composites plies at Donauwörth factory. Main objective is to improve operation and material efficiency.
- GKN AerospacecoreGKN selected Airborne to supply fully automated preforming line to Global Technology Centre in Bristol, UK. System integrates Automated Ply Placement cell, Automated Preform Trimming by Accudyne Systems, ply cutter from Assyst Bullmer, and Hot Drape Former by PAC Group. Part of ASCEND project for next generation aircraft.
- Ascendance Flight TechnologiesstrategicPartnership to build first ATEA aircraft, manufacturing full composite airframe structure. Airborne supports with industrialization strategy for future high-rate manufacturing. Collaboration with Solvay for materials.
- SolvaystrategicMaterials partner in collaboration with Ascendance Flight Technologies for ATEA aircraft development. Provides advanced materials expertise and dedication to sustainability.
- Teijin Automotive TechnologiesstrategicFirst automotive application of APP developed for dry fiber RTM part production at Pouancé, France facility. Full composite door produced for high-performance sports car with crash safety compliance.
- Porsche AGstrategicCollaboration with Teijin Automotive Technologies and PINETTE PEI for CFRP door production using Automated Ply Placement. Project selected for JEC Innovation Awards 2024.
- CPI Vertex AntennentechnikstrategicPartnership for design and manufacturing of Mirror Support Structures for FYST and SOLAT telescopes. Previous successful collaboration on ALMA telescope project led to this assignment.
- MDA SpacestrategicCustomer for AURORA software-defined satellite product line. Airborne supplies panel and yoke substrates for Sparkwing solar arrays, ramping up to 40 panels per month.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Airborne Technology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MTorres: Spanish engineering group and direct competitor in automated composite manufacturing — Automated Ply Placement, AFP/ATL and bespoke composite automation cells for Airbus and other Tier-1 OEMs. Closest head-to-head competitor in Airborne's core aerospace automation niche.
- Broetje-Automation: German automation specialist supplying integrated composite manufacturing cells (AFP, ATL, kitting, robotics) to Airbus and Tier-1 aerospace suppliers. Directly competes with Airborne for OEM automation contracts in Europe.
- Electroimpact: US-based designer and manufacturer of automated composite layup systems (AFP, ATL, fiber placement) for aerospace and space customers. Comparable technology stack and end-customers, with complementary geographic footprint.
- Mikrosam: Macedonian manufacturer of AFP/ATL and preforming equipment for aerospace and space composites — directly competes with Airborne on automation cells for fuselage beams, rocket structures and satellite components.
Emerging players
- Compositence: German start-up developing automated preforming and tailored fibre placement technologies for high-volume composite manufacturing. Competes with Airborne in the automated dry-fibre and RTM preform space.
Broad incumbents
- KUKA: Large German industrial robotics and automation supplier whose aerospace cells overlap with Airborne's automated programming and robotic preforming offering. Broader portfolio but less specialized in composites-specific automation.
- Spirit AeroSystems: Large aerostructures manufacturer producing composite fuselage, wing and propulsion structures for Airbus and Boeing. Comparable customer base but operates at much greater scale in parts manufacturing rather than automation equipment.
- Premium AEROTEC: Airbus-owned Tier-1 supplier of composite and metallic aerostructures (fuselage shells, wings, VTP). Comparable end-market and customer, broader scope, but operates as a Tier-1 buyer of automation rather than an automation vendor.
Others
- GKN Aerospace: Tier-1 aerospace supplier that is both an Airborne customer (ASCEND preforming line) and a broader composite aerostructures competitor. Comparable in end-market exposure but not in automation product offering.
- Solvay: Advanced materials supplier (composite resins and fibres) partnering with Airborne on the Ascendance ATEA airframe. Sits in the same composites value chain but is a materials supplier rather than an automation competitor.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Airborne Technology social profiles
Digital presenceAirborne Technology compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Airborne Technology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Airborne Technology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Airborne Technology subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Airborne Technology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Airborne Technology M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Airborne Technology
What does Airborne Technology do?
Airborne Technology manufactures high-end composite (CFRP) structures and develops proprietary digital automation systems for the composites industry. The company operates two business lines: Airborne Aerospace, which produces qualified composite parts for aircraft, satellites, launchers, automotive and scientific applications; and Airborne Composites Automation, which sells or rents automation systems such as Automated Ply Placement (APP), Kit by Light, Automated Edge Sealing, and Automated Programming software to industrialize customers' composite manufacturing. Customers include Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, MDA Space, Porsche and Teijin.
Is Airborne Technology a public or private company?
Airborne Technology is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Airborne Technology founded?
Airborne Technology was founded in 1995. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Airborne Technology based?
Airborne Technology is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Airborne Technology make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Manufacturing of Composite Parts are the primary driver. The others are automation Systems Sales and Rental and industrialisation Consultancy.
Who are Airborne Technology's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MTorres, Broetje-Automation, Electroimpact and Mikrosam. Compositence is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are KUKA, Spirit AeroSystems and Premium AEROTEC. Others are GKN Aerospace and Solvay.
Does Airborne Technology have an API?
No public API is recorded for Airborne Technology.
What industry is Airborne Technology in?
Airborne Technology's product category is Composite Manufacturing and Automation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAEAB, Composite Structures & Layup Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMABAEAD, Structural Assemblies & Integration (Airframe Subassemblies). Its NAICS code is 33641 and its SIC code is 3720.