Press Release: SkySelect Raises $9m to Fix Aviation’s $11bn Supply Chain Crisis with AI Procurement

Why It Matters

By automating aircraft‑parts procurement, SkySelect reduces costly inventory, speeds aircraft turnaround, and mitigates counterfeit risks, delivering measurable operational savings for airlines worldwide.

Key Takeaways

• SkySelect raised $9 million Series seed round.
• AI cuts aircraft parts procurement from days to hours.
• Platform automates up to 70% of purchasing tasks.
• $6 billion processed; $1.3 billion in 2025 alone.
• Customers include JetBlue, Finnair, LATAM, Vueling, Sun Country.

Pulse Analysis

The aviation industry faces a mounting supply‑chain bottleneck that IATA estimates will cost carriers more than $11 billion in 2026. Airlines purchase roughly $60 billion of aircraft parts annually, yet outdated procurement methods—email, phone, spreadsheets—create $50 billion in excess inventory and leave planes grounded when critical components cannot be sourced quickly. A record backlog of 17,000 aircraft, coupled with an aging fleet, amplifies the urgency for a more efficient, transparent buying process, especially as counterfeit parts threaten safety and cost structures.

SkySelect’s AI‑driven platform tackles these pain points by instantly matching part requests with the most suitable suppliers across thousands of vendors. The technology reduces procurement cycles from days to hours and automates up to 70 percent of the purchasing workflow, delivering faster turnarounds and lower inventory levels. To date the system has processed $6 billion in transactions, with $1.3 billion recorded in 2025 alone, and is already deployed by carriers such as JetBlue, Finnair, LATAM, Vueling and Sun Country, proving scalability across diverse markets.

The recent $9 million financing round, co‑led by Verb Ventures and RockCreek and backed by Bain Capital Ventures and Lux Capital, provides the capital needed to deepen the AI engine and expand globally. As airlines and MROs increasingly prioritize digital transformation, SkySelect’s solution positions it to capture a sizable share of the $11 billion supply‑chain remediation market. Investors see the venture as a strategic play to reduce operational costs, mitigate counterfeit risks, and unlock new revenue streams for carriers that adopt intelligent procurement.