Expliseat, a France-based manufacturer of lightweight aircraft seating, has announced a €36 million (US$42m) fundraising round – the largest capital increase in the company’s 14-year history – which will be used to grow its manufacturing capabilities and accelerate global expansion, with the USA being a key target market.
Expliseat also plans to use the funds to expand its product range, developing more premium seat models for the North American regional aviation market, where light weight is key to operational and cost efficiency. With nearly 90% of its revenues fuelled by export activities (though Air France is a customer), Expliseat is seeking to accelerate its expansion into key markets with high growth potential, starting with the USA market.
The company also plans to deploy a global maintenance, repair & overhaul network (MRO) to provide customers with rapid local service. This adds to the company’s recent opening of a commercial hub in Montreal, Canada, to better serve customers.
A growing product range
The funding will also enable Expliseat to expand its product range, with plans in place to develop a new generation of premium ultralight aircraft seats and strengthen its competitiveness in its market. Expliseat says it will continue to invest in R&D to ensure its new models are as light as possible.
Its flagship product, the TiSeat 2, is marketed as being the world’s lightest aircraft seat, with a carbon and titanium structure that makes it a claimed 30% lighter than some ‘traditional’ economy-class seats. You can find out more in THIS VIDEO.
Air France was a finalist in the 2025 Crystal Cabin Awards with the new cabins for its Embraer 190 single-aisle aircraft, which feature new leather-trimmed seats from Expliseat that are 30% lighter than the airline’s current E190 seat model.
The company has also announced plans to accelerate its market and product diversification into other forms of mobility, starting with railway interiors and electric buses, where Expliseat says it has ‘several projects underway with leading players’.
More production capacity
The company’s 6,000m² assembly plant in Angers, France, which was inaugurated in September 2024, has a production capacity of more than 32,000 seats annually, with 10,000 seats scheduled for delivery in 2025. The company now employs 150 people, divided between Angers (80) and Paris (70), and has an order book currently worth €50 million.
Over the past two years, the company has tripled its airline customer portfolio, including Air France, Air Canada and Jazeera Airways. The latest round of funding will help Expliseat further strengthen its manufacturing capabilities and optimise its supply chain.
The funding round was led by Crédit Mutuel Innovation (CMI), along with the SPI fund managed by Bpifrance for the French Government, with further participation from Supernova Invest and Swen Capital. Current investors, BNP Paribas Développement, GO Capital, and NCI, have renewed their confidence in the venture.
Amaury Barberot, CEO of Expliseat, said: “This fundraising marks a decisive step in the history of Expliseat. 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.”
Magali Joëssel, director of Bpifrance’s SPI fund added: “As shareholders since 2023, we have supported Expliseat in the development of its ultralight seats, the internalisation 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.”
