Unum Aircraft Seating raises £3.5M for lighter, more sustainable aircraft business seats

Unum, a UK-based manufacturer of aircraft business class seats, has raised £3.5 million. 

Founded in 2020 by a team with decades of experience in cabin product and seat development, Unum Aircraft Seating develops lie-flat seats that offer a wider, longer bed and more spacious side furniture within the same cabin, allowing airlines to cater to the growing business class market without sacrificing passenger capacity.  

The company's integrated design and in-house manufacturing capabilities speed up time to market.

Unum recently received regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and moved its operations to a new London Gatwick factory facility.

Airline seats constitute 10 per cent of an aircraft's operating weight, and optimising in-flight cabin weight can generate fuel savings of 0.65-0.85 per cent. Unum's seats weigh 79 kg compared to the industry average of 110kg. 

The company is the first airline seating company to commit to the Green Cabin Alliance, a cross-industry group advocating for the decarbonisation of the aircraft interior supply chain.

Chris Brady, CEO of Unum Aircraft Seating, said: 

"We set up Unum to provide much needed capacity to the business class seating sector. We want to be the most trusted aircraft seating supplier in the world and to set a new standard for passenger-focused and responsibly-made seats.

This investment is a vote of confidence in our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience for business-class travellers."

ACF Investors participated in the funding. According to Tim Mills, Managing Partner at ACF Investors: 

"Chris is a proven leader in the airline interiors industry and his track record in founding and scaling aircraft seating businesses is second to none.

We're excited to back a true industry innovator, one that prioritises sustainability and customer comfort and is delivering such an exceptional product."

The funding will support Unum's R&D and help expand its sales pipeline within the airline industry.

Lead image: Unum. Photo: uncredited.