Estonian-founded SkySelect, an AI-powered procurement platform for aviation parts, has raised US$9 million in new funding.
Airlines currently face significant operational and financial challenges linked to parts sourcing. Globally, carriers hold around US$50 billion in excess inventory, much of it tied up in legacy procurement systems that lack real-time visibility. When aircraft are grounded due to missing components — known as aircraft-on-ground (AOG) events — airlines must often rely on manual and fragmented sourcing processes that can take days or even weeks. These disruptions are estimated to cost the industry roughly US$30 billion annually.
New procurement technologies are helping airlines and MRO organisations streamline operations. By improving access to supplier networks and enabling more efficient logistics planning, these tools can reduce the number of shipments by up to 30%, allowing operators to hold fewer spare parts while lowering both logistics costs and carbon emissions.
SkySelect has been at the forefront of applying artificial intelligence to aviation procurement. Rather than relying on general-purpose AI models, the platform uses specialised algorithms designed specifically for aircraft parts sourcing. These systems automatically match part requests with the most suitable suppliers across a global network of thousands of vendors, giving operators real-time visibility into market availability and pricing.
The technology supports a just-in-time procurement model, helping airlines maintain operational resilience while reducing the need for costly safety stock. SkySelect also integrates with major enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, enabling a more seamless end-to-end procurement workflow.
Since its launch, the company has processed more than US$6 billion in transactions, including US$1.3 billion in 2025 alone. Its client base continues to expand, with airlines such as JetBlue, Sun Country Airlines, Air Transport Services Group, Widerøe and Vueling among its recent customers.
The funding round was co-led by Verb Ventures and RockCreek, with participation from the EU-backed SmartCap Green Fund as well as existing investors Bain Capital Ventures and Lux Capital.
