About Us
AeroCloud’s leading-edge technology helps airports to operate smartly, quickly and responsively.
Our Story
AeroCloud was founded in 2019 by George Richardson and Ian Forde-Smith. A mutual contact initially brought them together, and their first meeting in a coffee shop ignited the idea that is now AeroCloud. The potential was huge, combining Ian’s extensive sector and technical knowledge with George’s sharp commercial mindset to create solutions enabling the airport sector to seize the benefits of the Cloud.
Starting with a matchbox business plan designed to compete with and displace one of five legacy operators in the airport space, AeroCloud is now an established and respected venture capital-backed technology business serving airports, airlines, FBOs and ground handlers across the US, UK, Europe and beyond.
Ours is a David and Goliath story, and it’s been a tremendous journey since we first launched. Our first customers at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Tampa International Airport put their trust in us, and we are forever grateful for their support, which was our launchpad. We are also thankful to our investors who have taken the time to understand the airport technology sector and are as excited as ourselves, as an industry-leading SaaS company, about the great opportunities for operational improvement that AeroCloud’s leading-edge technology delivers.
Our Founders
CEO George Richardson is a retired professional racing driver who has competed at the highest level for over ten years. His high-performance sports background and keen commercial acumen are instrumental in AeroCloud’s drive to revolutionise airport operations.
CTO Ian Forde-Smith has worked in the aviation industry for over 30 years and combines cutting-edge software skills with deep industry experience. Ian is the lead architect behind AeroCloud’s world-class SaaS-based technology platform. He is passionate about applying AI and Machine Learning to solve real problems airports face.
Paul Secker, AeroCloud’s Co-Founder and Global Director of Common Use, is a leading industry expert in Passenger Processing. He’s worked in the aviation industry for over 28 years and was instrumental in the merger between Flight Solutions and AeroCloud in 2022. His technical knowledge of Passenger Processing is second to none.
Our Investors
AeroCloud’s lead investor is US fund Stage 2 Capital, who led our January 2023 Series A fundraise in which we raised $12.6 million. I2BF Global Ventures, Triple Point Ventures, Praetura Ventures, Starburst Ventures, and existing investors Playfair Capital and Haatch joined Stage 2 Capital. Praetura’s commitment to the round was further supported with additional investment through the Regional Angel Programme by British Business Investments.
Since its inception, AeroCloud has raised a total of $16m in funding, and this most recent round of investment is supporting a doubling down on the airport management software revolution. We work closely with our investors and value their input and advice highly.
Customers
AeroCloud’s technology currently supports over 60 airports across North America, Europe and the UK, processing over 190 million passengers annually. Our development cycles are customer-centric, and feedback from users of our technology is second to none.
Airports use our intelligent Airport Operations System and AeroCloud Optic, our award-winning track and count technology, to power their operations. Our Common Use Passenger Processing solutions allow passengers to move efficiently and smoothly from arrival to boarding. Both Commercial and General Aviation Airports, along with FBOs, Ground Handlers and Airlines, employ them.
What we do
AeroCloud creates modular, scalable Airport Management Software Solutions that deliver technological innovation to the airport sector.
Our cloud-native intelligent Airport Operations System uses predictive artificial intelligence and machine learning to make the jobs of airport operations, IT and commercial teams easier. It centralises airport data, automates tasks, predicts passenger numbers and manages gate usage in real-time, increasing an airport’s passenger handling capacity and saving airports money.
Together with our Common-Use Passenger Processing and Self-Service solutions and AeroCloud Optic, our industry-first passenger track and count solution, our technology is revolutionizing airport operations across the globe.
What makes AeroCloud different?
AeroCloud is on a mission to transform airport operations. We believe that our industry deserves better technology and amazing customer service. As a team, we pride ourselves on being trustworthy and capable and always delivering great results.
Our solutions are tailored to meet our customers’ requirements, supporting their drive to deliver a great passenger experience. AeroCloud’s technology helps people travel and connect, and we never forget that every passenger has a unique story underpinning their need to travel.
We understand the operational challenges that our customers face every day, and we put them at the heart of everything we do. This is what partnership means to us and, combined with our leading-edge technology, marks us out from our competitors.
