The aviation industry relies on complex global supply chains to keep aircraft operational, yet many airlines still depend on outdated procurement systems to source essential parts. These inefficiencies can result in aircraft remaining grounded while operators search for components, creating costly delays and operational disruptions. In response to this challenge, Estonian founded SkySelect, a company developing artificial intelligence driven procurement technology for aviation, has secured $9 million in new funding to accelerate the growth of its platform designed to modernise how airlines and maintenance organisations source aircraft parts.
The funding round was co led by Verb Ventures and RockCreek, with participation from SmartCap Green Fund supported by the European Union NextGenerationEU programme. Existing investors Bain Capital Ventures and Lux Capital also joined the round. The investment will support the continued development of SkySelect’s AI sourcing capabilities and expand its presence across global aviation markets.
Addressing inefficiencies in aviation procurement
Airlines operate in an industry where even minor delays can have major financial consequences. When aircraft are grounded because a required component is unavailable, operators must quickly locate replacement parts through a fragmented network of suppliers. These aircraft on ground incidents represent a major operational challenge and can cost airlines billions of dollars each year.
At the same time, airlines maintain large inventories of spare components to reduce the risk of shortages. Globally, the aviation sector holds tens of billions of dollars in excess aircraft parts inventory. Maintaining these stockpiles increases operational costs while tying up capital that could otherwise be invested elsewhere.
SkySelect was created to address these inefficiencies by applying artificial intelligence to aviation procurement workflows. The company’s platform connects airlines and maintenance organisations with a global network of suppliers, allowing them to identify the most suitable parts and vendors more quickly.
AI driven procurement platform
SkySelect’s platform uses specialised artificial intelligence models to analyse procurement requests and match them with suppliers capable of fulfilling those requirements. Rather than relying on manual searches and fragmented communication channels, users can access real time visibility across thousands of aviation parts vendors worldwide.
This technology enables airlines and maintenance, repair and overhaul organisations to adopt a more efficient just in time procurement strategy. By sourcing parts precisely when they are needed rather than maintaining large safety stock inventories, operators can reduce warehousing costs and improve capital efficiency.
The platform also supports better logistics planning by reducing the number of emergency shipments required during urgent procurement situations. This helps lower transportation expenses and can contribute to reducing the environmental footprint associated with rapid parts delivery.
Integration with existing aviation systems
In addition to connecting buyers and suppliers, SkySelect integrates with major enterprise resource planning systems used by airlines and maintenance organisations. These integrations allow procurement teams to manage the entire sourcing process from within their existing operational systems.
By combining AI driven supplier matching with enterprise software integration, the platform aims to streamline the complete aircraft parts procurement workflow. This includes identifying suppliers, evaluating pricing and availability, and completing transactions more efficiently.
Rapid growth across the aviation sector
Since launching its platform, SkySelect has experienced significant adoption across the global aviation industry. The company reports that its system has processed more than $6 billion in procurement transactions, including approximately $1.3 billion completed in 2025 alone.
The company is also expanding its customer base among major airlines and aviation service providers. Recent customers include JetBlue, Sun Country Airlines, Air Transport Services Group, Widerøe and Vueling.
This growth reflects a broader shift in the aviation sector as airlines seek to digitise supply chain operations and improve resilience across increasingly complex global logistics networks.
Expanding AI capabilities and global teams
The new investment will be used to further develop SkySelect’s artificial intelligence driven sourcing and procurement optimisation tools. The company plans to continue enhancing its algorithms to provide more accurate supplier matching and better market visibility for aviation parts procurement.
SkySelect also intends to expand its global workforce across product development, data science and customer success teams. Hiring efforts will focus on its offices in the United States, India and Estonia.
By combining specialised artificial intelligence with deep knowledge of aviation supply chains, SkySelect aims to help airlines and maintenance organisations build more efficient procurement systems. As airlines continue to modernise their operations, digital platforms capable of reducing delays, lowering inventory costs and improving supply chain transparency are becoming increasingly important to the future of aviation logistics.
