Hydroplane Ltd., along with its Founder and CEO Dr. Anita Sengupta, was selected to receive the 2023 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Minority Emerging Technology and Industries Firm of the Year Award. The award is granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).
“The National MED Week Awards serve as a testament to the minority business community’s invaluable impact on our economy and communities,” wrote Donald R. Cravins, Jr., the Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development at the MBDA in his award announcement letter to Dr. Sengupta. “Your leadership and dedication to your industry and community exemplify the values that the MED Week Awards stand for. Your dedication, innovation, and resilience embody the spirit of entrepreneurship that drives our nation forward. You have not only achieved success but have also paved the way for others to follow.”
The Minority Emerging Technology and Industries Firm of the Year Award is given to a minority entrepreneur and their business that have demonstrated success in high-growth industries through the utilization and delivery of services based on new technologies.
“We are honored,” Sengupta said. “I am very grateful to the MBDA and the U.S. Department of Commerce for the recognition of Hydroplane’s ground-breaking work to decarbonize aviation and mobile energy transport with our hydrogen fuel cell based electric propulsion.”
Dr. Sengupta is an aerospace technology leader, innovator, and disruptor. As the Founder and CEO of Hydroplane Ltd., she is leading the charge to decarbonizing aviation by driving development of a novel hydrogen fuel cell powerplant for smaller aircraft including eVTOL, UAS, helicopters, and single engine aircraft with electric propulsion systems. Hydroplane is the recipient of two US Air Force research and development contracts to develop Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology for vertical lift platforms and cargo drones for the USAF Agility Prime program. Hydroplane is also a recipient of the California Energy Commission CalTestBed program.
MBDA will honor awardees during the 40th anniversary celebration of the 2023 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference, which is held in collaboration with the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s annual conference October 22-25, 2023, in Baltimore, Maryland.
