Everyone, at some point in their lives, has probably wished they could fly (and not in the “fly in an airplane” sense of the word). Airvinci, a new aviation startup and a Toronto Founder Institute graduate, is aiming to change the future of personal flight by creating backpack helicopters that are a combination of personal helicopter and drone.
In the interview with Tarek Ibrahim, founder of Airvinci, we find out more about what Airvinci is about:
What is the business?
The business is the manufacturing and sale of personal helicopters and high capacity drones for personal use and commercial use.
What is the product?
The product is a personal helicopter that could be converted into a high capacity drone. It can carry 260lbs and is 6ft wide . It has 2 running engines so even in the worst case scenario it does not fall out of the sky.
What is the business model?
The business model is to manufacture drones and helicopters in house and to sell them directly to the final customers.
How did you get inspired to start the business?
I've always wanted to fly and I am not satisfied that the only companies that are developing aircraft are large companies that have large overheard and are slow to respond to market demands. Also, there seem to be no plans to develop a convenient and safe personal vertical take off and landing flying machine by any company.
Were there any challenges you faced along the way?
There have been a number of challenges I faced along the way, from finding qualified people that are able to do the design and engineering work, to finding suppliers that are capable and willing to produce the very complex aerospace parts.
What motivated you to go on?
< Initially I just wanted to make a personal flying machine for myself because I wanted to find a cheap way to fly. After seeing all the support and the excitement in the faces of the people that I told about the project, it gave me a lot of motivation to continue.
How was your experience in the Founder Institute program?
I had a very weak idea when I started out. Thanks to my program director Kamal, he rejected my previous idea (polishing hub caps) and forced me to challenge myself and bring my A-game, which led to the creation of Arivinci.
I enjoyed being part of the Founder's Institute and enjoy being part of the Alumni. I got a lot of support that I needed and it helped me dream big, and gave me the comfort in knowing that when I have any questions I will have people to turn to.
Are there any milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
We have a couple of milestones coming up. We are planning to buy some manufacturing equipment to help us iterate quickly and rent an industrial unit because we are growing too big for the garage. The other milestone is the test flight that we are planning in Mid 2016.
Tarek Ibrahim, the founder of Airvinci, was one of the featured speakers at the annual TEDxToronto talks. Check out his video below.
