Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Knoxville Business News Tennessee Mountain Scenery Background
January 05, 2025 | Tom Ballard

Whisper Aero makes TechCrunch’s list of 51 most disruptive start-ups

It is the only company from the Volunteer State and one of three from neighboring states.

Crossville-headquartered Whisper Aero Inc., which has raised $41.04 million, according to PitchBook, is one of 51 companies named to TechCrunch‘s most disruptive start-ups of 2024.

The company, which was one of five finalists in the 2024 PYA-sponsored Ballard Innovation Award, develops an ultra-quiet electric propulsor that can be scaled up to drones and aircraft and down to leaf blowers.

In describing the reason that Whisper Aero made the prestigious list, TechCrunch wrote the following: “Technologies like drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will need to be quiet in order to scale into populated areas. Whisper’s answer is a super-quiet, clean electric propulsion system called WhisperDrive. The company has R&D partnerships with NASA and announced a deal with tool and hardware giant Stanley Black & Decker to bring the WhisperDrive tech to its products.”

Two other companies from neighboring states also made the list.

  1. Atlanta, GA-based Hermeus Corporation builds hypersonic aircraft for commercial and defense uses.
  2. Auburn, AL-based Tennibot makes a robot that picks up tennis balls.


Like what you've read?

Forward to a friend!

Don’t Miss Out on the Southeast’s Latest Entrepreneurial, Business, & Tech News!

Sign-up to get the Teknovation Newsletter in your inbox each morning!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


No, thanks!