Why this is on salient
I met Florian and the team multiple times in Monaco, and have followed EnerKite closely. Airborne wind has had many believers and few deliverers, and what convinces me here is how far past the idea stage this has moved: a first commercial system sold, a working demonstrator, and partnerships with Volkswagen, Airbus and the DLR. Florian came in as the wing's designer, invented its core structure, and took the CEO seat at a hard moment. Capital and Statista have named EnerKite one of Germany's most innovative energy companies three years running. Demand is now outstripping what they can build.
About
EnerKite develops airborne wind energy systems: a passive high-performance wing, flown on three lines and controlled entirely from the ground, with no motors, electronics or actuators in the air. The system harvests stronger, more consistent high-altitude wind at a lower material and cost base than conventional turbines, with no tower or heavy foundation.
The team
Florian Breipohl
Founder & CEO
Florian Breipohl came to EnerKite as a wing designer and took over as CEO in 2022, at a critical moment for the company. He invented the grid shell construction at the core of EnerKite's wing, a patent-filed technology he guided from first concept sketch to full demonstrator: lightweight, robust, scalable, and manufacturable in series. Since becoming CEO he has rebuilt the company's strategy and operations and united its team and shareholders behind a single direction.
Invented and patent-filed the grid shell wing construction at the core of EnerKite's system, taking it from first sketch to full demonstrator.
Took over as CEO in 2022, rebuilding strategy and operations and uniting team and shareholders behind a single direction.
Established partnerships with Volkswagen, Airbus, and the German Aerospace Agency (DLR).
What the market is saying
From the market
In July, our new autopilot release took to the air. The passive high-performance wing, controlled via three lines completely from the ground, no motors, no electronics, no actuators in the air, showed what this system design is built for: stable, controlled flight even when the wind refuses to cooperate.
One message comes up in almost every conversation: for German industry and agriculture, energy has become a matter of survival. Local, reliable generation is essential to stay resilient.
News
Airborne wind crosses from test rigs to commercial rollout as 100kW kite systems reach deployment in 2026
Kite-based wind generation is moving beyond pilots, offering portable, lower-material power for remote sites and diesel-dependent microgrids. The planned rollout of 100kW systems marks a key step toward commercial scale.
A new 1,100 sqm workshop for what comes next: the next 100 kW system triples the wingspan, a key step toward real-world airborne wind energy.
News
German Bundestag forms a parliamentary group on airborne wind energy
A cross-party parliamentary group on airborne wind in the Bundestag is a meaningful signal for a category that has long lacked political backing. For allocators, it is an early de-risking of the regulatory path for German AWE players specifically.
News
Airborne wind moves from demonstrators toward off-grid commercial niches
Analysts see the near-term commercial path for airborne wind running through off-grid uses like mining, agriculture, and remote power, where low weight and rapid deployment matter most, before utility scale. This is the exact wedge a company like EnerKite is positioned for.
