Flight sharing platform Wingly has raised €2 million in a seed round from former German vice chancellor Philipp Rösler, former Daher Socata CEO Stephane Mayer, and VC firm Howzat Partners.
Sometimes described as carpooling for flights, the UK-based startup connects private pilots with passengers. Pilots list routes that they are flying and available seats.
The company attained its European certificate from aviation authorities last year and is currently operating in Germany, France, and the UK with 150,000 users and 10,000 pilots. It will invest the new funds in expanding into more European markets and growing its team of developers.
“On the long term, flight sharing won’t only help increasing the flight hours but also spark interest in aviation to the wider public so that the number of pilots in Europe will rise even further,” said cofounder Emeric de Waziers.
“My investment in Wingly came from the conviction that Wingly will inspire many people,” commented former chancellor Rösler, who is also a pilot. “Flight sharing combines the fascination of flying with the pragmatic approach of the sharing economy.”
The platform has 60,000 flights currently listed that, according to the company, has led to savings of around €500,000 for pilots.
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