FRANCE. Start-up company airfree is planning the commercial launch of its inflight duty free product marketplace at the end of 2019 after raising €2.3 million in funds.
Airfree said it had received support from Shiseido and the Starburst accelerator programme.
The company’s e/m-commerce platform has also received validation in the form of a technical proof of concept, in partnership with Singapore Airlines’ Krislab programme.
The airfree platform makes airports’ duty free products and services available inflight. The end-to-end solution is claimed to reduce satellite connectivity-related costs while providing a “simple and optimised” user experience for passengers.
“This fundraising is a new step in our development: we plan to drive a pilot in real conditions and accelerate our commercial launch at the end of 2019,” said airfree Co-Founder and CEO Etienne de Verdelhan.
“We are proud to welcome Shiseido, a key player in travel retail innovation, and Starburst, which welcomed us in their acceleration programme since the end of 2018, and our business angels, who have renewed their confidence since 2017.”
