Kea Aerospace, a New Zealand-based leader in stratospheric uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), and Li-S Energy, a pioneer in lightweight lithium sulfur batteries, signed a collaboration agreement today at the Avalon International Airshow.

Kea Aerospace’s solar-powered UAVs operate between 55,000 and 65,000 feet, gathering high-resolution aerial data for applications such as maritime awareness, environmental monitoring, disaster response and a broad range of commercial use cases. Li-S Energy has developed next-generation lithium-sulfur batteries that offer more than twice the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries while being lighter, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly. This partnership will see Kea Aerospace integrate Li-S Energy’s advanced battery technology into its high-altitude UAVs, significantly enhancing flight endurance and operational efficiency.

Kea Aerospace recently demonstrated its capabilities with a one-day flight mission of the Kea Atmos Mk1 to over 56,000 feet. The company is now designing the Kea Atmos Mk2, which will be capable of continuous flight for months. The first focus application is maritime awareness, the Kea Atmos Mk2 would be ideally suited for the uninterrupted tracking of maritime traffic activity.

With a clear focus on the international market, Kea Aerospace is expanding its operations into Queensland, Australia. As part of this growth, the company has established a Queensland subsidiary and is collaborating with Australian universities and industry leaders.

Kea Aerospace CEO Mark Rocket said, “We are thrilled to partner with Li-S Energy, whose world-class battery technology is ideally suited for our platform. Our vision is to be a substantive Australian company with large teams split between New Zealand and Australia. We will continue R&D and manufacturing in New Zealand while building flight operations and a software team in Queensland, which offers a prime opportunity to scale our operations and push the boundaries of stratospheric operation.”

Dr Lee Finniear, CEO of Li-S Energy said, “We are excited to collaborate with Kea Aerospace, a company at the forefront of stratospheric aviation. As Li-S Energy scales up production, this partnership demonstrates the critical role of our unique lithium-sulfur technology in enabling ultra-lightweight, long-endurance UAVs for commercial and defence applications worldwide.”