Steam injection in aircraft engines isnât a new idea, but Viraj Aero has raised $4.5M to make it work in practice. The round brings together IRDI Capital Investissement, Climate Founders, ARTS, OCSEED, and Bpifrance.
The French startupâs patented system bolts onto existing propulsion architectures, aiming to cut fuel burn and shrink aviationâs climate footprint by tackling both COâ and non-COâ effects. Itâs designed to run on kerosene, SAF, or hydrogen, which means airlines could adopt it without waiting for a new fuel infrastructure. The fresh capital will help push the technology closer to real-world testing.
















