Avinode Group

What It Is: Avinode Group is parent of the Avinode Marketplace online platform, which provides charter brokers and operators real-time access to a global charter fleet and aircraft-demand data.

How It Grew: In 2001, three students at Sweden’s Chalmers University—Niklas Berg, Niclas Wennerholm, and Per Marthinsson—presented as their master’s thesis a business plan to use the internet to create a subscription-based, B2B platform for sourcing and booking charter aircraft. The three launched the Avinode Marketplace the following year, with 55 available aircraft and Danish operator North Flying as the first customer. The company made its European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition debut in 2003, with the team shod in its now signature lime-green Converse sneakers. By the following year the business was profitable. A U.S. office in Miami opened in 2006 as the available fleet surpassed 1,000 aircraft. Avinode acquired U.S.-based CharterX, its major competitor, and subsidiaries Wyvern Consulting and SchedAero in 2010 and also opened a South American office in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

After updating, SchedAero flight-operations software was relaunched in 2012, and the next year Avinode introduced customizable interfaces enabling charter companies to host branded price-quoting engines on their websites, using Avinode’s data and pricing algorithms. World Fuel Services’ Multi Service division bought a majority stake in the company in 2014; Avinode had sold Wyvern Consulting earlier that year.

Paynode, a secure payment platform for charter transactions, came online in 2016, and the Avinode Group holding company was created in 2018. This year, Avinode introduced a three-tiered subscription structure, adding a more economical “starter” plan providing access to the platform’s basic functionality.

What It Offers:

Avinode Marketplace. Online B2B platform for operator-broker interchange of aircraft availability, demand data, and bookings. TripManager enables brokers to receive online quotes and send invoices. Customizable B2C search engines allow providers to host branded charter price calculators on their Web sites.

SchedAero. Flight-operations software for operators ranging from owners of one piston aircraft to business jet fleets and executive airliners.

PayNode. Secure B2B transaction platform for processing charter transactions.

Notable Achievement: Avinode created the first online B2B charter marketplace for sourcing and booking charters, bringing charter brokerage into the digital age.

FAST FACTS:

Founded: 2002

HQ: Gothenburg, Sweden

Employees: More than 90

Number of flight requests handled: More than 600,000 per month

CEO: Oliver King

Website: avinode.com