London-based International Airlines Group (IAG) announced today it will invest up to €200 million over five years, in high-potential aviation companies through, IAGi Ventures, the new corporate venturing arm of IAG.
The investment is set to be “one of the largest investments of its kind globally and the biggest by a European airline group“.
Jorge Saco, IAG’s Chief Information, Procurement, Services and Innovation Officer, emphasised the company’s commitment to leading the airline industry in innovation. He said: “Adopting new technologies will improve our business and the value we generate, which is why we are seeking to work with and learn from top innovators through venturing. By launching venturing, alongside our accelerator programme, we plan to work with the best start-ups and scale-ups tackling today’s challenges.”
Founded in 2011, IAG is an airline group with 600+ aircraft carrying more than 122 million customers to 260 destinations across 91 countries each year. Its leading airlines in Spain, the UK and Ireland include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL and Vueling.
The Group also consists of two complementary businesses: IAG Cargo and IAG Loyalty. They also report to be the first airline group globally to commit to net zero by 2050. By the end of 2024, IAG’s investments in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) totalled €3.2 billion, moving closer to its goal of fuelling 10% of airline operations with SAF by 2030.
IAG will pursue investments in companies across all global markets, focusing on businesses developing technologies that address the most pressing challenges faced by the aviation industry today.
IAG has reportedly been investing in technology-focused start-ups and scale-ups since 2017, with notable successes including
- Assaia: A company that specialises in optimising airport and airline operations using AI.
- i6: A UK-based innovator using digital fuel management solutions to reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions.
- LanzaJet: A company developing cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel for commercial use in the UK.
IAGi Ventures will run in partnership with IAG’s accelerator programme which has been running since 2016.
The Hangar51 accelerator programme will now be known as IAGi Accelerator, with applications for this year’s scheme launching later this month.
During the programme, companies design and run a ‘proof of value’ to assess the potential of their solutions and work with experts across the Group to test their technology under operational conditions.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/03/iag-to-invest-up-to-e200-million-in-venturing-with-launch-of-iagi-ventures/
