Swisspod unveils world’s largest hyperloop and secures $13 million
During its second U.S. Hyperloop Day event in Colorado, Swisspod unveiled the world’s largest hyperloop test track, presenting Aerys 1, its first hyperloop capsule model, which reached 65 mph (102 kph) during a live test. Along with this milestone, the company announced the closing of a $13 million seed round to accelerate its US expansion.
Swisspod is developing a hyperloop – a new, high-speed, fully electric mode of transportation in which autonomous capsules travel inside low-pressure tubes, levitating and moving at near-sonic speeds with zero direct CO₂ emissions. Founded in 2019 by Denis Tudor (CEO) and Cyril Dénéréaz (CTO), the company aims to change the way people travel by connecting every major city using sustainable, carbon-neutral, energy-efficient, and high-speed transportation solutions.
“Our system is fundamentally different from everything else in the market. The infrastructure is passive, while all the core technology is inside the capsule. At the heart of it is our patented propulsion system, engineered to deliver high efficiency at very high speeds, unmatched in the market”, added Denis Tudor, CEO of Swisspod.
The company has built a test-track now at 1,700 feet (520 meters) in length, and it’s located in the Pueblo Plex campus, in Pueblo, Colorado. Once fully-completed, the closed-loop system will span one mile around and cover 43 acres of land — roughly the size of 25 football fields or 12,200 parked cars.
During a live demonstration of its Aerys 1 hyperloop capsule model at its second U.S. Hyperloop Day event with US government officials and key industry players, Swisspod achieved a record speed of 65 mph (102 kph) – the highest speed currently reached by any active hyperloop developer worldwide, setting a new benchmark in the landscape (Video demo).
Fresh funding to fuel US expansion
This milestone follows the successful closing of Swisspod’s $13 million seed round, supported by investors including Hurbig Ventures, Silicon Roundabout Ventures and Felix Porsche. The proceeds from the round will flow towards accelerating Swisspod’s expansion in the United States and driving forward continued testing and infrastructure completion toward commercialization of its hyperloop technology.
As part of the next steps, the startup is “now preparing for the next phase of testing with the hyperloop capsule, Aerys 1. “We are demonstrating real hyperloop technology, operating at the largest test track in the world. We have a great test and in the coming weeks, we’ll increase power, push the system harder, and advance at a pace this industry has never seen. It’s how real transportation systems are developed”, said Tudor.
(Press release/RAN)