SkySelect: Helping Aircraft Procurement to Soar

AI-powered aviation procurement platform, SkySelect, says airlines are facing mounting pressure to modernise legacy procurement systems that leave them holding around US$50bn in excess parts inventory globally.

SkySelect connects airlines, maintenance providers and aircraft leasing companies with a global network of over 3,000 verified parts suppliers.

The company's specialised AI platform automates sourcing, comparison and ordering of aircraft parts, enabling just-in-time procurement that reduces costs, minimises aircraft downtime, and improves operational resilience.

Tackling the cost of grounded aircraft

It is a procurement process of great pressure; when an aircraft is grounded, there is a scramble for teams to secure parts through what are known to be manual, fragmented processes that can take days or weeks. Aircraft-on-ground (AOG) incidents, where a plane is grounded waiting for parts, cost airlines around US$30bn each year.

To combat this, many airlines carry more than US$10bn in excess inventory. As procurement technology advances, it has given airlines and maintenance, repair and overhaul organisations (MROs) the ability to reduce the number of shipments by up to 30% while keeping fewer parts in stock. This helps teams to reduce logistics costs and carbon emissions, making operations more sustainable.

Erkki Brakmann, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of SkySelect, says: "Legacy procurement systems and processes are fundamentally broken. Airlines invest over US$40bn annually in aircraft parts while simultaneously carrying US$50bn in excess inventory, a massive inefficiency that our AI-driven platform directly addresses.

“This growth funding validates both our early-mover advantage in applying AI to aviation procurement and the tangible value we're delivering to customers."

Shifting from surplus to just-in-time efficiency

SkySelect was ahead of the curve, applying AI to aviation procurement long before it became a tech buzzword. Unlike other AI models, SkySelect uses a specialised engine designed specifically to match parts requests with the best suppliers across a global network of thousands.

By providing real-time market visibility, the platform shifts procurement from "just-in-case" to just-in-time. This builds leaner, more resilient operations and cuts down on expensive surplus inventory. To keep things seamless, the platform integrates directly with major ERP systems, automating the entire procurement lifecycle from end to end.

Since it took off, SkySelect has processed more than US$6bn in transactions, with US$1.3bn completed in 2025 alone. The company is currently landing approximately one new major client per month, with recent additions including JetBlue, Sun Country Airlines, Air Transport Services Group, Wideroe and Vueling.

Strategic funding for global expansion

Verb Ventures and RockCreek co-led the round, with participation from SmartCap Green Fund, funded by the European Union NextGenerationEU, and existing investors Bain Capital Ventures and Lux Capital.

Alexander Chikunov, founding partner at Verb Ventures, adds: "SkySelect exemplifies the kind of B2B platform we back: a platform that brings transparency to opaque supply chains through data and automation. This new funding positions SkySelect to capture a larger share of the US$40bn aircraft materials market."

This capital injection is earmarked for upgrading SkySelect's AI sourcing and procurement tools, which are essential tech for helping airlines and MROs transition toward more predictable, sustainable supply chains. To fuel this growth, the company is scaling its product development, data science and customer success teams across its hubs in the USA, India and Estonia.

Anahita Smeets, Managing Director at RockCreek, says: "RockCreek invests in AI and innovative companies that deliver both economic value and operational resilience. SkySelect addresses a critical bottleneck in aviation by using AI to match supply and demand for parts. With airlines facing billions in losses from aircraft-on-ground delays and excess inventory, we believe SkySelect's platform offers a compelling solution at scale."