Ventoplani S.r.l. is born
9/8/20262 min read
On July 28, 2026
Ventoplani S.r.l.
was officially founded.
We couldn't be more excited to share it.
Translating more than a decade of academic research on airborne wind energy into a product.
The technology
Much as distributed solar has decentralized electricity generation, windplanes are designed to decentralize wind power. Starting with small-scale systems for individuals, businesses, and off-grid communities where conventional energy systems are costly or impractical, Ventoplani aims to scale windplanes toward utility-scale applications.
Windplanes are fixed-wing airborne wind energy systems that harvest wind power using small onboard turbines. Lightweight and fully autonomous, they are tethered to the ground, like a kite.
Why it matters
Windplanes access stronger, more consistent winds at higher altitudes, and use less than 10% of the material required by conventional wind turbines — lower costs, faster deployment, reduced visual impact, and clean, local energy with a smaller environmental footprint.
Their high capacity factor pairs well with solar and batteries, cutting the storage needed to keep hybrid systems running. Fast to deploy, even by autonomous flight, windplanes are also well suited to disaster relief and other temporary applications.
Founded by
Ventoplani was founded by Filippo Trevisi (CEO), Prof. Lorenzo Fagiano (CSO), and Leonardo Cecchin (COO),
all researchers at SAS-Lab, Politecnico di Milano.
Trevisi holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Milano with thesis "Conceptual design of windplanes," whose breakthrough was certified by both academia and industry: he received the Excellent Young Wind Doctor Award from the European Academy of Wind Energy in 2025, and the Eni Award 2026 Young Researcher of the Year.
Fagiano holds a PhD in Information and System Engineering from Politecnico di Torino. He is Full Professor of Automation and Control Engineering and head of SAS-Lab, and has been principal investigator of close to ten research projects and contracts on airborne wind energy over the past fifteen years, co-authoring three patents and more than 50 publications on the technology. His research on airborne wind energy systems has been recognized with the Eni Award "Debut in Research" Prize (2010), the European Control Award (2019), and the Mission Innovation Champion Award for Italy (2019).
Cecchin holds a PhD in Microsystems Engineering from the University of Freiburg, earned within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ELO-X doctoral network, has vast experience in prototyping and controlling drones and gliders, and leads SAS-Lab's experimental activities.
What's next
This is just the first step. Reach out to us to know more.