Exclusive: The 29 Aviation Startups in IAG’s 2025 Accelerator Revealed
Photo Credit: IAG is the parent company of airlines including British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. Vincenzo Pace
Skift Take
With AI now ubiquitous and early-stage sustainability startups multiplying, this year's cohort reflects both immediate and longer-term bets.
IAG is more than doubling the intake for its startup accelerator, selecting 29 companies for 2025. Now in its ninth year, the increasingly influential list has become an industry bellwether for where airline innovation is heading and what’s worth backing.
This year, the airline group – which includes British Airways and Iberia – is placing its biggest bets on AI and climate tech. The startups are drawn from 11 countries and, for the first time, split into two streams.
New for 2025 is a “Discover” track for early-stage startups, particularly those in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and energy transition tech. These 15 companies will participate in a six-month mentoring program to prepare them for possible future deployment.
It runs alongside the more commercially focused "Deploy" track, which offers 12-week proofs of concept directly with IAG operating companies.
The IAGi Accelerator is the group’s flagship innovation program
