The aviation industry desperately needs new solutions and perspectives to tackle its technological challenges. At Aviation Festival Asia, we’re putting innovation front and centre with the Startup Pitch Competition. Before a panel of industry experts and an audience of executives, five of APAC’s most dynamic new businesses will present their ideas. The winner receives an exhibitor stand at next year’s event, as well as the coveted Startup Pitch trophy.

This year, the competition will be hosted by Raza Ali, VP Innovation, IAG. The judges are flying in from across the world, and include representatives from leading airlines, airports, and venture capital funds. On the panel are:

  • Nicholas Hong, Starburst Singapore Managing Director, Starburst
  • Kosuke Yamada, Director, ANA Future Frontier FundGerri Sinclair, C-3PO, Vancouver Airport Authority
  • Nik Munaretto, Managing Director, Plug and Play Austria
  • Guido Woska, CCO, Manyone
  • Ola Barramou, Innovation & Culture Lead, Royal Air Maroc
  • Henry Harteveldt, President, Atmosphere Research Group 

Let’s meet the finalists!

Overwatch AI – www.overwatch-ai.com

Overwatch AI provides the only AI assistants purpose-built for the airline workforce, filling the gap where standard enterprise AI falls short. They deliver secure, high-performance AI that generates ROI from day one while giving airlines full control over their data. Backed by Techstars and based in Barcelona, Spain, they’ve already deployed with multiple airlines across Europe, helping their workforce reduce disruptions and increase efficiency.

Flynapse AI – www.flynapse.ai

Flynapse provide agentic AI for ops intelligence  that reduces AOG events, accelerates troubleshooting, and unifies technical documentation into an intelligent operational layer. Their copilots for MRO, cabin crew, and pilots help optimise shifts, turnaround time, and overall performance.

Ganiga.AI – www.ganiga.ai/it

The Hoooly! smart robotic waste systems deliver real-time material recognition, ESG analytics, and operational cost reductions (35–50% fewer collections). This is a genuinely new category compared to typical airport tech offerings. Hoooly! Indoor is Gangina’s AI-powered smart robotic bin for airports, malls and campuses. Hoooly! Small  is the compact retrofit solution for existing bin stations.

Blue WX – www.bluewx.co.jp

BlueWX provides next-generation aviation weather forecasting using advanced technology to deliver highly precise turbulence and weather predictions. Their tools help airlines operate more safely and efficiently by offering accurate, real-time insights for air mobility. At the event, they’ll showcase panels and a promotional video demonstrating their forecasting capabilities.

Accumulus – www.accumulus.sg

Accumulus’ pilot decision-support platform, Ace, uses AI to interpret flight context, cut delays, save fuel, and improve operational decision-making. Already tested on 7,000+ flights, it’s one of the strongest digital-ops innovations on the market.

Want to see these five compete, and experience a Startup Village showcasing more than 30 aviation innovators? Join us at Aviation Festival Asia 2026. 

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