Aiir Innovations, an artificial intelligence start-up for the visual inspection of aircraft engines, has raised €2.1M in an oversubscribed investment round. Led by Borski Fund, with the participation of HearstLab Europe and existing shareholder Mainport Innovation Fund.
Aiir Innovations was founded in 2016 by a group of AI students from the University of Amsterdam and is now a front-runner in the aviation software market. The company works with companies such as KLM Airlines, Waygate Technologies and MTU Leasing Services. Most recently, Aiir Innovations was selected for the Boeing-backed Aerospace Xelerated program and won the Lufthansa Technik Philippines Startup Challenge.
CTO and co-founder Miriam Huijser:
“Ensuring jet engines are inspected completely and objectively is key to ensuring the safety and efficiency of aircraft. Aiir achieves this by actively supporting human inspectors in all aspects of the job, from managing reporting requirements to an AI assistant for detecting potential missed defects. With its software, Aiir Innovations supports inspections throughout the engine lifecycle, during maintenance, lease transitions and more.”
Simone Brummelhuis, fund director of Borski Fund:
"We are thrilled to announce our investment in Aiir. This new investment is a testament to our belief in the potential of Aiir to drive innovation and progress in the field and our commitment to supporting diversity in the companies in which we invest."
Aiir Innovations will use the investment to grow its remote-first team, expand globally and set a new standard for engine inspections. Because HearstLab Europe co-invests, this American investor can bridge the gap for the international ambitions of Aiir Innovations.
Eve Burton, Executive Vice President of Hearst Corporation and President of HearstLab:
“The importance of Aiir’s potential contribution to air safety globally cannot be understated, and we are honored to be on that journey with them. As an investor focused on female-led startups, we were particularly drawn to Aiir because of the strong presence of female leadership on the technology and product side with deep AI knowledge and experience. We were extremely impressed with the Aiir management team and the product offering they have built and marketed in a relatively short period.”