#USA #New York #GoAERO Prize #Emergency Flyers #Prototype Winners

GoAERO Prize: Shaping the Future of Emergency Response

The GoAERO Prize, a groundbreaking initiative boasting over $2 million in international awards, has unveiled eight outstanding prototype teams tasked with developing innovative Emergency Response Flyers. Announced on December 3, 2025, the competition aims to enhance emergency response capabilities through advanced aerial technology.

Each of the eight selected teams will receive a total of $320,000 in funding, courtesy of the GoAERO awards, to support their endeavors in creating aircraft designed to respond to emergencies ranging from natural disasters to medical crises. With backing from industry giants like NASA, RTX, and Honeywell, these teams represent a collaboration of expertise and ambition rooted in a shared goal: improving lifesaving technologies.

Prototype Winners

The teams selected as winners hail from diverse locations:

• - CraneAERO — Cranfield, UK
• - Elevate — Delft, The Netherlands
• - Harmony — Texas, US
• - HORYZN — Munich, Germany
• - LIFT + UT Austin / Texas Aerial Robotics — Texas, US
• - Rescue Pack — North Carolina, US
• - Soteria — Pennsylvania, US
• - VSDDL — Alabama, US

The recently announced winners will fly their prototypes at a Final Fly Off held at NASA Ames Research Center, located in the picturesque San Francisco Bay Area. This event aims to test each prototype’s capabilities in real-world scenarios, aligning with GoAERO’s mission to revolutionize emergency response.

A Timely Initiative

This announcement comes in the wake of a tumultuous year marked by natural disasters and emergency situations worldwide. There were widespread floods in Texas, devastating wildfires across California, and one of the strongest hurricanes on record hitting Jamaica. Additionally, significant seismic activity was reported in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, alongside global heatwaves that have stressed emergency services worldwide.

Gwen Lighter, the Founder and CEO of GoAERO, emphasized the urgency of such innovations: “The GoAERO aircraft are needed now more than ever. GoAERO was founded to create transformative flight technologies that save lives, and to foster a collaborative network across industry and government for the effective deployment of these aircraft.” This reflects a broader commitment to evolving response strategies amidst increasingly challenging conditions.

Currently, GoAERO comprises 201 teams from 85 countries, all engaged in the development of their respective Emergency Response Flyers. Notably, participation is open to new entrants at any stage of the competition, highlighting GoAERO's commitment to inclusivity and innovation.

Final Fly-Off and Future Prospects

The final GoAERO Fly-Off event promises to feature three distinct missions aimed at rigorously testing the prototypes on critical skills necessary for public service. An additional $1.65 million will be distributed among winning teams during this event, incentivizing continued participation and progress.

In essence, the GoAERO Prize not only seeks to foster advancements in air mobility and emergency response but aims to create a vital safety net through innovative technologies. As teams work diligently to create reliable, sustainable, and effective aircraft, the vision of swift emergency response becomes tantalizingly closer.

About GoAERO

Founded in 2024, GoAERO is committed to inspiring innovative designs for emergency response aircraft. The initiative serves as a platform for teams to collaborate and gain resources needed to streamline the development of life-saving technologies. Interested teams are encouraged to register and participate in this ambitious global challenge at GoAEROprize.com.



Join us in looking forward to the future of emergency response, where aerial technology could be the game changer we desperately need.