World Festival Innovation Awards Top 50 Startups

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**AeroCloud has been chosen as a Top 50 Startup at the WorldFestival 2021 Innovation Awards.**

[The WorldFestival 2021 Innovation Awards program](https://worldfestival.com/awards/) is the largest worldwide awards competition identifying and recognizing global innovation, with 1,000+ startups, companies, and organizations competing online in the Community Voting round, and evaluated by an industry-expert Judging Committee, all leading up to WorldFestival 2021 (August 17-19th, 2021).

We couldn't be in a position to do well in awards like this without the hard work of the AeroCloud team, and the support of our customers.

To find out more about why AeroCloud are being noticed for awards, [get in touch](/get-in-touch).

AeroCloud are a Top 50 Startup at the WorldFestival 2021 Innovation Awards

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**AeroCloud has been chosen as a finalist at South Summit 2021.**

Since 2012 [South Summit](https://www.southsummit.co/) have helped transform businesses through innovation with the collaboration of more than 20,000 startups from all over the world, including some of the most internationally traded startups.
 
It's only because of the support of our customers, and the work of our team that we are able to be recognised. We thank them all!

To find out more about why AeroCloud are being noticed for awards, [get in touch](/get-in-touch/).

AeroCloud are a finalist at South Summit 2021

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## What’s your background working with airports and in aerospace?

I’m new to the aviation sector but I’ve been in the digital/product arena for over 10 years delivering successful products and services to the health, motor, energy, and IT industries across the US, UK, and Australia.

## Why have you joined AeroCloud?

AeroCloud really struck a chord when I discovered its passion for extending the digital capabilities of Artificial Intelligence, geo-spatial data, and self-service to solve real operational problems within the airport infrastructure.

Witnessing first-hand the technology being used, we are aiding operational and customer success with incredibly short implementation times. Using my experience within product development and customer experience, I believe we have a strong foundation to break the mold of legacy systems by providing an informative data-rich platform with a route to quicker, reliable operational success.

## What do you hope to achieve with AeroCloud?

My ambition is to help drive the success of the AeroCloud platform globally. Enabling airports to manage and connect with their operational stakeholders with ease, using powerful datasets and self-service capabilities.

I’m excited to be solving operational challenges with real customer feedback, driving the next generation of aviation management solutions.

## When you’re not helping airports solve operational challenges, what do you like to do?

When freedom allows, you’ll usually see me hiking up mountains around the English Lakes and countryside. I love scuba diving but my latest challenge is currently learning to fly. My absolute favorite things to enjoy are pizza and a good Netflix binge.

**You can [connect with Danny via LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justdanlee/)**



Meet Danny Lee, Product Manager

Finalist B2B / SaaS Award - The Europas 2021

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**AeroCloud has been chosen as a finalist in the B2B / SaaS category at the 2021 Europa Awards.**

In its twelfth year identifying Europe’s most ambitious and successful startups, including Spotify, Transferwise, Soundcloud, Deliveroo, Babylon Health, and many others, [The Europas](https://theeuropas2021.thepathfounder.com/) has grown into the premier awards for Europe’s hottest tech startups. 

In order to reach the final, we had to get through an initial nomination process and a public vote. Our success is down to the hard work of the AeroCloud team, and the support of our customers who make us what we are.

To find out more about why AeroCloud are being noticed for awards, [get in touch](/get-in-touch).

AeroCloud are a finalist for the B2B / SaaS award at The Europas 2021

Photo of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

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**Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) opened in 1942 near the west coast of Florida. It handles over 1.5m passengers a year and over 100,000 aircraft operations.**

[Lionel Guilbert](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lionel-guilbert-749a3a90/) is Senior Vice President of Operations & Public Safety at SRQ and is responsible for ensuring passengers and aircraft get where they need to go. In 2019 he and the airport’s procurement team opened a tender to look for a new airport operations management platform.

> “We got four proposals, and AeroCloud immediately stood out as they were by far the cheapest. We didn’t think one of the big legacy systems would work for us, as you end up paying a lot for features you don’t use. But with AeroCloud, we could choose which parts of the platform we needed. We then invited all four suppliers to demonstrate their platforms, and we thought AeroCloud did the best demo,”

It was when Lionel met up with [AeroCloud CEO George Richardson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-richardson-a7520615a/) at a conference that he became truly convinced.

> “They had our live data in the platform, and I could immediately see how it could make our lives easier. Our old method used a lot of paper in the process, and moving to the cloud got rid of all that,”

So, what’s it like working with AeroCloud?

> “The implementation was really fast, and everyone at AeroCloud understood what we were trying to do. The team always put themselves out to help solve any problems we have. They’re more like a partner - they involved us in the development of their [FIDS mobile app](https://apps.apple.com/app/aerocloud/id1495662107), for example, which is now something we use at the airport.”

Lionel was keen to explain how easy the platform is to use.

> “AeroCloud is intuitive - we have tenants who use it occasionally, and they never struggle to remember how. Because I’m ultimately responsible for all operations, I check AeroCloud when I’m at home - I can do it on my phone. And my son likes to check in on it too - he’s ten and thinks he can manage an airport better than his dad. With AeroCloud, maybe he could. But I won’t let him find out.”

**To find out more about how we're helping airports like Sarasota-Bradenton, [get in touch](/get-in-touch/).**


Customer Story - Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)

Photo of George Richardson and Ian Forde-Smith

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**AeroCloud Systems has announced a seed investment of $1.7m (£1.2m), led by VC fund [Playfair Capital](https://playfaircapital.com/).  AeroCloud is a cloud-based airport management solution. It provides real-time data to enable the management of critical operations.**

Its predictive AI, resource management & planning system identifies future passenger flow with 97% accuracy to ensure maximum visibility of operational demand and optimized communication with airlines, ground operations, and tenants.

The platform is cloud-based, easy to use, and built on leading-edge technology keeping the price point within the reach of small to medium-sized airports. It also provides larger airports with an alternative at a much lower cost to existing solutions, essential at a time when the industry needs additional support to recuperate from the effects of the pandemic.

The business, based in the US and UK, has deployed its platform in major airports such as [Tampa International](https://www.tampaairport.com/) and [John Wayne](https://www.ocair.com/) in California. This investment will drive further growth in North America and enable key hires. One such hire is the new Director of Airport Engagement and industry veteran [Andrew Hoppe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewahoppe/), who joins from competitor ADB Safegate. Andrew has been working with airports, airlines, and the transportation sector in technology sales roles since 2014.

[CEO George Richardson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-richardson-a7520615a/) and [CTO Ian Forde-Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianfordesmith/) launched AeroCloud in 2017 to address a gap in the legacy airport operations market. They felt previous solutions were too expensive, not focused on customer needs, and not innovating fast enough.

On the raise, George Richardson said:

> “Myself and my co-founder, Ian Forde-Smith, always felt the airport operations sector was an underserved market that we could have a huge impact on. And we’ve shown that a combination of genuinely innovative technology and great service is really resonating with the airports we speak to.

> “The pandemic has given us an opportunity to show airport executives how our platform can optimize their operations and save them costs when they’ve needed to most. As vaccination programs ramp up around the world, air travel is set to make a big comeback in the US and then Europe, our two key markets. We’re incredibly excited about the opportunity this presents us to rapidly accelerate the growth of our business.”

On the hiring of Andrew Hoppe, George Richardson added:

> “Andrew deciding to join us is a testament to the buzz we’re creating in the industry as a customer-focussed business solving challenges with leading-edge technology.”

Andrew Hoppe, Director of Airport Engagement, North America, AeroCloud Systems, commented:

> “I've joined after witnessing AeroCloud deploy AI-driven gate management systems at airports overnight, and in the process save 80% on IT and maintenance costs.

> Since coming on board, I've been able to see for myself that they are unequivocally the most innovative and customer-centric software company in the aviation space.”


AeroCloud Systems raises $1.7m to help airports improve passenger experience

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## What’s your background working with airports and in aerospace?

I’ve been working with airports, airlines, and the transportation sector in technology sales roles since 2014. My focus has always been data-driven approaches to solving operational challenges both in the terminal and on the airside.

I am passionate about partnering with customers and product teams to deliver innovative technology solutions that improve the lives of the end users, and the passengers they serve.

## Why have you joined AeroCloud?

I've joined after witnessing AeroCloud deploy AI-driven gate management systems at airports overnight, and in the process save 80% on IT and maintenance costs.

Since coming onboard, I've been able to see for myself that they are unequivocally the most innovative and customer-centric software company in the aviation space.

## What do you hope to achieve with AeroCloud?

My goal is to help airports in North America see innovation as not just attainable, but absolutely necessary. It is crucial that airports adapt to the changing environment. They need to remodel how they operate, how they interact and partner with airlines and other business partners, and how they solve problems and procure technology.

## When you’re not helping airports solve operational challenges, what do you like to do?

Hanging out with my wife, friends, trying to tire out our restless Husky mix, surfing when there are waves at local beaches, or enjoying the great restaurants that New York has to offer.

**You can [connect with Andrew via LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewahoppe/)**


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AeroCloud are a Top 50 Startup at the WorldFestival 2021 Innovation Awards

AeroCloud are a finalist at South Summit 2021

Meet Danny Lee, Product Manager

AeroCloud are a finalist for the B2B / SaaS award at The Europas 2021

Customer Story - Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)

AeroCloud Systems raises $1.7m to help airports improve passenger experience

Meet Andrew Hoppe, Director of Airport Engagement, Americas

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