Virescent Ventures leads MAKO's AU$28 million Series A to accelerate rollout of Flightfilm

The CEFC congratulates Virescent Ventures and MAKO on the successful close of a AU$28 million Series A capital raising which will help scale production and global deployment of Mako’s shark skin-inspired technology Flightfilm that can help minimise fuel costs and emissions in aviation.  The CEFC contributed $5 million directly to the capital raising and has invested a total of $10.5 million in MAKO since 2022.

Virescent Ventures media release: 

Virescent Ventures leads MAKO's AU$28 million Series A to accelerate global rollout of shark skin aviation efficiency tech as airlines battle fuel costs

30 June 2026

Virescent Ventures has led the close of a AU$28 million Series A round for Australian aerospace technology company MAKO (formerly MicroTau). The funding will be used to scale production and global deployment of Flightfilm, a revolutionary drag-reducing shark skin-inspired adhesive film for aviation that improves flight efficiency.

The Australian-developed technology offers significant benefits to existing fleets and new builds, reducing fuel consumption by up to 4% per aircraft, thereby reducing costs and lowering aviation sector emissions. The capital will be deployed to manufacture and deliver on commercial airline and defence Flightfilm pre-orders. It also accelerates Flightfilm's path to certification across initial markets including Australia, Europe and the USA.

Virescent Ventures was proud to lead the Series A round, having backed the MAKO team across four rounds of investment since 2022, investing from both its second fund and on behalf of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). This round includes participation from International Airlines Group (IAG) through IAGi Ventures (its dedicated venture arm), Zero Infinity Partners, Grok Ventures, Skip Capital, IP Group and TreeArc. The investment builds on strong momentum for Virescent Ventures’ Fund II, which has raised over $155 million in commitments from cornerstone investors the CEFC, Westpac, QIC, Breakthrough Victoria and other investors. It also follows recent Fund II investments in leading Australian climate technology companies including Amber Electric, IND Technology and Dryflow Magnetics, and marks the seventh investment in this fund.

MAKO develops, manufactures, and sells Flightfilm – a precision-engineered drag reduction film inspired by the microscopic skin texture of fast-swimming sharks. Applied to the majority of an aircraft's surface, Flightfilm reduces friction drag and delivers meaningful fuel savings, lower emissions, and reduced operating costs. Flightfilm requires no structural modification to the airframe and is installed during scheduled maintenance events for rapid deployment. MAKO is vertically integrated from design through manufacturing and on-aircraft application.

Blair Pritchard, Partner at Virescent Ventures, said: “Like its namesake, MAKO is fast moving and ready to scale. We have a lot of conviction in this team having backed them across four rounds of investment since 2022. MAKO meaningfully improves the efficiency of aircraft already in service. It's incredibly gratifying to see them winning contracts around the world with civilian and allied military aviation customers. We think this has the potential to be the biggest Australian aviation story since Qantas.”

MAKO continues to build strong commercial aviation partnership interest, including with Delta Air Lines under their Sustainable Skies Lab, upcoming trials with major carriers in the Asia Pacific region, and a pilot with International Airlines Group subsidiary Vueling, later this year. Flightfilm’s performance has also been independently validated in flight testing with the US Air Force on a C-130J ‘Super Hercules’, measuring a net drag reduction of over 4%.

MAKO CEO Henry Bilinsky said: “We are proud to have Virescent Ventures lead our Series A. Their team has backed us since our seed round and have been excellent partners. They understand the significance of our vision to make surfaces that replace the need for a new aircraft.

“It is exciting to have IAGi Ventures as a key strategic investor representing one of the largest airline groups in the world. As we complete product certification, MAKO will be leveraging their expertise from ground operations to airworthiness to ensure Flightfilm meets all airline customer needs.

“The coalition of Virescent Ventures, the CEFC, IAGi, Grok Ventures, IP Group, Zero Infinity Partners, TreeArc, and Skip Capital represents deep experience in backing deep tech, climate tech, and aviation tech companies solving hard problems at scale. Their investment represents not only conviction in MAKO and our technology, but a recognition of our mission: making aviation more efficient, not someday, but for the fleet flying today.

“We're flight proven, manufacturing ready, and have commercial and defense customers lined up. This funding accelerates MAKO's mission as we complete certification, deliver to those customers, and scale production for the global aviation fleet. As the industry reels from a global fuel shock, one thing is clear: whether it's cutting emissions, increasing mission capability, or saving on an airline's biggest operating cost – efficiency never goes out of style."

About Virescent Ventures

Virescent Ventures is Australia’s largest and most active dedicated climate technology investor. Born out of the Clean Energy Innovation Fund under the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), since 2016 Virescent Ventures has deployed more than $300 million in more than 40 investments driving the innovations required for the global transition to net zero. Our portfolio spans clean energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, and smart cities. We invest from pre-seed to growth stages, with a focus on maximising emissions reduction and commercial outcomes. For more information visit www.virescent.vc

About MAKO

MAKO is an aerospace technology company developing advanced drag-reduction surface technologies for commercial and defense aviation. Its flagship product, Flightfilm, reduces aerodynamic drag to help operators lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions across existing aircraft fleets. Founded in Australia, MAKO works with partners worldwide to deliver scalable, near-term efficiency gains for aviation. www.mako.aero