PARIS, June 12, 2025 - Expliseat, the global leader in lightweight aircraft seating innovation selected by Air France and Air Canada, announces a €36 million fundraising, the largest capital increase in its history. The funding round will support the company's efforts to strengthen manufacturing capabilities, expand its product range toward premium offerings for the North American market, and accelerate global expansion, with the US as a key target market.
The funding round was led by Crédit Mutuel Innovation (CMI), along with the SPI fund managed by Bpifrance for the French Government with the participation of Supernova Invest and Swen Capital. As historical investors, BNP Paribas Développement, GO Capital, and NCI are renewing their confidence.
Since its foundation in 2011, Expliseat has revolutionized the mobility industry by designing the lightest aircraft seat in the world. Through strategic investments in R&D, Expliseat has developed a breakthrough technology, protected by more than 100 patents, to reduce the weight of aircraft and lower CO2 emissions per passenger by up to 6 %. With its new 32,000- seat annual capacity facility now operational in France, Expliseat has an order book of around €50 million and is consolidating its position as a world leader in ultralight technologies.
Supporting strong growth through global market expansion
The company is targeting the North American regional aviation market, where airlines are seeking solutions to improve passenger comfort, operational efficiency and cost savings goals.
Expliseat recently opened a commercial hub in Montreal to better serve strategic customers and to strengthen its foothold in the world’s deepest commercial aviation market. With nearly 90 % of revenue from exports, Expliseat is accelerating expansion in key markets with high growth potential, starting with the US market. The company also plans to deploy a global maintenance network (MRO) to provide partners with responsive, local and high-quality service. Its TiSeat 2X, the world's lightest aircraft seat, was showcased for the first time at MRO Americas 2025, marking a significant step in the company's expansion into the North American market.
Expliseat aims to establish itself as a global reference in the decarbonization of aviation, by offering large-scale technological solutions with an immediate and measurable impact.
Expanding its range of ultralight products
The funding will also enable Expliseat to expand its product range by developing a new generation of premium ultralight seats and strengthen its competitiveness in its market. Its flagship product, the TiSeat 2, weighs 30 % less than traditional seats and meets the highest standards of comfort, robustness and aesthetics. Expliseat will continue to invest in R&D in ultra-light technologies to support this move upmarket.
The company will also be able to accelerate its diversification into other forms of mobility, starting with rail and electric buses, where several projects are underway with leading players.
This strategy aims to capitalize on its technological lead to become a key player in low-carbon mobility.
An industrial leader in the aeronautics sector
Following the opening of its assembly plant in Angers, France, Expliseat has reached significant industrial scale. The facility produces more than 32,000 seats annually, with 10,000 scheduled for delivery in 2025. The company now employs 150 people, divided between Angers (80) and Paris (70), and has built an order book worth €50 million.
This development results from trust placed by major airlines, including Air France, Air Canada and Jazeera Airways. In two years, the company has tripled its customer portfolio. Through this funding, Expliseat intends to further accelerate its industrial momentum : strengthen manufacturing capabilities, optimize its supply chain and consolidate its position as a key player in the aeronautics sector.
Amaury Barberot, CEO of Expliseat, said : « This fundraising marks a decisive step in Expliseat's history. The renewed confidence of historical investors and the support of leading players such as Crédit Mutuel Innovation and Supernova Invest give us the means to invest in new ultra-light technologies and to continue our development on a global scale. We are proud of the progress made and the commitment of our teams who work every day to design concrete solutions for the decarbonization of mobility. »
Magali Joëssel, Director of Bpifrance's SPI fund adds : »As shareholders since 2023, we have supported Expliseat in the development of its ultralight seats, the internalization of its production, as well as the growth of its team. At a decisive moment in its development, this new fundraising demonstrates our continued commitment to Expliseat, allowing us to consolidate its achievements and accelerate its expansion. The SPI Fund reaffirms its support and is proud to remain a trusted partner, supporting society in its mission to decarbonize transportation. »
Maxence Valero, Head of the Deeptech division at Crédit Mutuel Innovation, explains : « Expliseat is a true innovative pioneer for the decarbonisation of transport in general, and one of the few credible and available solutions for air transport. We are delighted to support the management to enable the emergence of a new industrial leader and to deploy this knowhow developed in France on a global level. The industrial ramp-up and the pursuit of astructured internationalization will be the keys to success. »
« Expliseat has successfully developed and industrialized a disruptive technology that allows airlines around the world to optimize their fuel consumption, and as a result, to act massively on the decarbonization of air transport, » comments David Hansen, Partner at Supernova Invest. « We are delighted to support this remarkable journey and enable Expliseat to accelerate its global development. »
About
About Expliseat
Expliseat is the leader in lightweight aircraft seats, combining elegance and functionality to create a new standard in the industry. With more than 10,000 TiSeats in operation and over 60 million flight hours, Expliseat is redefining aircraft interiors with seating solutions that enhance passenger comfort while reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
As a well-established French aerospace company, Expliseat produces the lightest aircraft seats in the world—30 % lighter than traditional models—while ensuring durability and sustainability through its innovative titanium and composite alloy technology.
Founded in 2011 and primarily focused on the aeronautics industries, Expliseat employs over 150 people and has won multiple design awards for its groundbreaking technology, reinforcing its reputation as an innovator in mobility solutions. Expliseat has earned the trust of leading operators including Air France, Air Canada, Falko, Jazeera, Porter, Nolinor (OWG) and Jettime.
Additionally, the company is recognized by all major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Airbus, Bœing, Embraer, and Bombardier. The company has been a multi-winner of government investment programs and raised €17 million in April 2023.
News and information are available at https://expliseat.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
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Lawrence Esso Kelart communications +1 514 6905660 lawrence@kelartcom.com
About Bpifrance and the SPI Fund
Bpifrance finances companies – at each stage of their development – in credit, guarantees and equity. Bpifrance supports them in their innovation and international projects. Bpifrance also ensures their export activity through a wide range of products. Consulting, university, networking and acceleration programs for startups, SMEs and mid-caps are also part of the offer offered to entrepreneurs.
Thanks to Bpifrance and its 50 regional offices, entrepreneurs benefit from a close, unique and efficient contact person to help them face their challenges.
For more information, please visit : https://www.bpifrance.com - https://presse.bpifrance.fr
Follow us on LinkedIn : @Bpifrance and X : @Bpifrance - @BpifrancePresse
The SPI Fund, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the State as part of France 2030, is intended to enable the industrial projects that offer the most promising business and job prospects for the industrial sectors to find support for their development. He acts as a prudent equity and quasiequity investor in project companies carrying industrialization and pre-industrialization projects chosen according to their growth potential, the current positioning of the industry and their contribution to the ecological and energy transition. It was thus one of the financial levers of the New Industrial France.
About Crédit Mutuel Innovation
Crédit Mutuel Innovation is Crédit Mutuel Equity's subsidiary specialising in venture capital investments ( €4 billion in capital under management). It invests in equity of tickets ranging from €1 million to €20 million in innovative companies in the digital, life sciences and deeptech sectors. Crédit Mutuel Innovation enables entrepreneurs to develop their growth potential by connecting them to the companies in its ecosystems. Because it takes more than 5 years to create a world leader, Crédit Mutuel Innovation invests its own capital sustainably and builds long-term relationships with the entrepreneurs it supports.
For more information : www.creditmutuel-innovation.eu
Press contact - Véronique Richez-Lerouge at (0)6 14 63 90 00 - v.richez-lerouge@resomedia.com
About Supernova Invest
Supernova Invest is the leading platform for deeptech investment in Europe and manages nearly €800 million. Supernova Invest supports more than 80 start-ups developing products and services using disruptive innovations in the 4 major deeptech sectors : energy and agricultural transition, digital, industrial technologies and health. For 20 years, Supernova Invest has been financing the growth of tomorrow's major technological and industrial champions across the entire life cycle of innovation capital (seed, venture capital, growth capital), with the aim of bringing together the entire deeptech value chain around the companies in its portfolio (manufacturers, research centres and co-investors). The company is supported by Amundi, Europe's leading asset manager, and the CEA, Europe's leading public research organization.
Press contact – David Buzonie – 06 88 23 17 38 – david.buzonie@vae-solis.com