Pieter brings extensive international leadership experience in the energy and mobility sectors. Over the past 25 years, he has driven the development of innovative and disruptive businesses—both as a start-up entrepreneur and as an executive within global organizations. Pieter is passionate about advancing sustainability and is well-equipped to lead Kitepower into its next phase of growth and scale-up.

“I am excited to join Kitepower at such a crucial moment,” said Dr Pieter Willems. “This company has proven its technology in the field, and we now have a unique opportunity to reshape the future of wind energy—making it more accessible, flexible, and sustainable.”

Johannes Peschel, who founded Kitepower in 2016, added: “Pieter is the best candidate from over 300 applicants. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far and look forward to continuing to contribute as we take the next big step. This is the next step to complete the management team and deliver on Kitepower’s ambition to global leadership in airborne wind energy.“

Kitepower has developed a cutting-edge airborne wind energy system that uses large kites to generate electricity from higher-altitude winds—offering a lightweight, mobile, and cost-effective alternative to conventional wind turbines. To date, the company has 15 years of R&D experience where over 300 successful flights were logged and 11 pilot projects are completed. With commercialisation in sight and the first customer projects in the pipeline, Kitepower is targeting the UK, Netherlands, and Germany as initial markets, with a specific focus on providing remote renewable power solutions to the rural construction industry.

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Claudio joins Kitepower from ZOLA Electric, where he played a key role in advancing access to sustainable energy. He has deep knowledge of the electric power sector, focusing on distributed controls and battery energy storage systems. His commitment to clean energy fits perfectly with Kitepower’s mission to transform wind energy.

Extensive experience

“We are thrilled to welcome Claudio Vergara to the Kitepower team”, said Johannes Peschel, CEO of Kitepower. “His extensive experience in the renewable energy sector and his proven ability to drive innovation to the market make him the ideal candidate to lead our technology development and product release efforts. We are confident that Claudio’s expertise and Silicon Valley mindset will be instrumental in accelerating our progress towards a more sustainable future powered by kites.” 

Claudio Vergara shared his excitement about joining Kitepower: “I am very happy to be joining a company doing bold, high-potential innovation like Kitepower. I have dedicated my career to making low-carbon electricity available to everyone, and I look forward to contributing to Kitepower’s next-generation solutions in renewable energy. I’m confident this journey will have a big impact on the future of sustainable energy systems.“.

Kitepower’s airborne wind energy systems use high-altitude winds to generate electricity more efficiently than traditional wind turbines. Claudio Vergara’s addition to the team highlights Kitepower’s commitment to advancing renewable energy technology.

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Expanding Our Horizons: Kitepower’s Second Location in County Mayo, Ireland

At the forefront of our expansion is the establishment of a brand-new team for our second Kitepower location in County Mayo, Ireland. We extend a warm welcome to Mark Devas and Padraic Doherty, who will be instrumental in driving our test campaigns from this joint test location, in collaboration with our partner RWE. This strategic move aligns with the finalisation of the development of our groundbreaking Kite Battery Energy Storage System, the Kitepower Hawk.

Empowering Software Development

Our software development capabilities receive a significant boost with the addition of three talented professionals. Antonio Velasco joins us as a Simulation and Flight Dynamics Engineer, contributing his expertise to propel our simulations to new heights. Alexandre Guerra strengthens our embedded software team, bringing innovation and efficiency to our software development processes. Additionally, we are thrilled to welcome back Kitepower alumni Bert Buchholz, who returns as the Head of Software, adding his wealth of experience to lead our software team towards new milestones.

Enhancing Organisational Foundations

In a strategic move to solidify the foundation of our organisation, we are proud to welcome Judith van Gelder to the Kitepower family. Judith brings a wealth of experience in HR, finance, and facility management at industrial sites. Her expertise will play a crucial role as we gear up for further growth and innovation.

As we welcome these talented individuals, we invite you to join us in extending a warm welcome to Judith, Antonio, Bert, Alexandre, Padraic, and Mark. Their diverse skills and experiences align perfectly with our mission to revolutionise the world of sustainable energy.

As we continue to grow, there are more opportunities to join the Kitepower family. Explore our open positions and be part of our journey towards a sustainable future: Kitepower Careers.

We look forward to the exciting times ahead as we collectively strive to innovate in the world of sustainable energy.

The post Kitepower Expands Team With Six New Talented Team Members appeared first on Kitepower.

As we continue to work towards our mission of revolutionising wind energy, we recognize the importance of investing in our team. That’s why we have been rapidly expanding our team, bringing on board the skills and expertise needed to make our vision a reality.

Let’s take a closer look at Kitepower’s recent team expansion, and explore what it means for the future of the company. Kitepower’s recent team expansion has brought on board some key talent to drive the company forward in its mission to revolutionise wind energy. Among the new hires are a Chief Operations Officer, a Senior Product Manager, and a Flight Test Manager.

As new Chief Operations Officer (COO), Walter Hueber will be responsible for overseeing Kitepower’s operations, ensuring that the company is running smoothly and efficiently. This includes managing the company’s supply chain, production processes, and logistics, as well as working closely with other departments to ensure that all aspects of the business are aligned and working towards a common goal. Waler will play a crucial role in helping Kitepower scale up its operations and take its technology to market – (more about Walter).

As Senior Product Manager, Eduard IJsselmuiden will be responsible for leading the development and commercialisation of Kitepower’s products. This includes defining the product roadmap, working with the engineering team to design and build the products, and bringing them to market. Eduard will also be responsible for managing the product lifecycle, ensuring that Kitepower’s products meet customer needs and are competitive in the marketplace. This role is crucial for Kitepower as it looks to bring one of the first airborne wind energy systems to market and establish itself as a leader in the field – (more about Eduard).

The Flight Test Manager role will be covered by Andrei Luca who will be responsible for overseeing Kitepower’s flight testing program. This includes designing and executing flight tests to validate Kitepower’s technology, analysing flight data to improve performance, and working with the engineering team to implement improvements based on flight test results. Andrei will also be responsible for ensuring that Kitepower’s flight testing program is conducted safely and in compliance with regulatory requirements. This role is crucial for Kitepower as it looks to refine and improve its technology, and move closer to commercialization: “I am here to support Kitepower’s mission and I am looking forward to seeing how innovation in this sector helps to tackle other humanitarian needs around the world, especially in remote communities and in challenging environments”.

Finally, Maëlle Trubert has recently started her Master internship at Kitepower: “My mission here is to help the team carry out as many successful flight tests as possible. This, in order to improve the usability of the system and make it more reliable before large-scale use.”. While clearly in line with Maelle’s aerospace engineering background she happily points out how Kitepower’s mission fits her values “..Ecology is a major matter of concern for me and this internship is an opportunity to get involved in actual sustainable development. In this respect, because of climate change, Kitepower is committed to a project which concerns all of us”.

Overall, the addition of these key team members is a significant step forward for Kitepower in its mission to commercialise one of the first airborne wind energy systems ever. With the team’s expertise and experience, Kitepower is well-positioned to take on the challenges ahead and make a significant impact in the renewable energy sector.

The post Team Growth to Support Momentum in Airborne Wind Energy appeared first on Kitepower.

Johannes Peschel, CEO Kitepower: “We are thrilled to have Eduard on board as our Senior Product Manager. His skills and experience in the aerospace industry make him a perfect fit for Kitepower’s mission to provide clean, affordable energy to everyone. Eduard’s can-do mentality and dedication to making things work will undoubtedly help us continue to develop cutting-edge airborne wind energy systems.“

Eduard IJsselmuiden: “Joining Kitepower as a Senior Product Manager is a perfect match for me. I can fully use my experience in drones ánd work for the nice and challenging mission of making wind energy in a very efficient way. I am looking forward to continuing working together with the very enthusiastic team of Kitepower.“

Kitepower’s first product, the Kitepower Falcon, is specially designed to allow remote communities worldwide to mitigate dependency on polluting and expensive diesel supply. With a power output of 100 kW it can supply up to 150 households with electricity. The system is currently available for pre-order and is the first in a family of Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES) with the objective to develop a product range that will be able to generate ever larger electricity output.

The post Eduard IJsselmuiden Joins Kitepower As Senior Product Manager appeared first on Kitepower.

Johannes Peschel, CEO Kitepower: “In order to create impact at scale with our airborne wind energy systems, Kitepower will step up its investment in overall company expansion with public and private partnerships, expanded R&D and go-to-market activities to deploy our systems. I believe Walter will be instrumental in helping us shape a future-proof organisation that can contribute to a world with clean affordable energy for everyone.”

Walter Hueber: “The Kitepower team is contributing to tackle the single biggest problem our planet is facing today: climate change. I believe that this team is uniquely positioned to help communities globally benefit from sustainable energy by building an entirely new and complementary category of power generation with airborne wind energy systems. The affiliation with Delft University of Technology and the strong support with both private and public investment is proof of the enormous potential of this technology.”

Kitepower’s first product, the Kitepower Falcon, is specially designed to allow remote communities worldwide to mitigate dependency on polluting and expensive diesel supply. With a power output of 100 kW it can supply up to 150 households with electricity. The system is currently available for pre-order and is the first in a family of Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES) with the objective to develop a product range that will be able to generate ever larger electricity output.

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