For the ground handling teams at Odesa, Boryspil, and Zhuliany airports, the daily puzzle of staffing, equipment, and flight schedules is no longer a manual spreadsheet exercise. A Kyiv-based startup, INPUT SOFT, has placed its web-based operations platform into pilot use there, aiming to replace legacy processes with AI-driven scenario planning and real-time data [LIGA.net]. The company’s bet is that the post-pandemic push for efficiency and sustainability in aviation creates a window for a digital overhaul, starting with the complex, resource-heavy world of ground operations.
A wedge into ground handling
Ground handling is the high-stakes, low-margin backbone of aviation, encompassing everything from baggage loading and aircraft towing to passenger bus coordination. The standard of care today is often a patchwork of manual logs, Excel sheets, and radio communication, a system prone to delays, inefficiency, and last-minute scrambling. INPUT SOFT’s suite consolidates resource planning, staff rostering, equipment tracking, and real-time operations control into a single dashboard [Greencubator, 2023-2024]. The platform integrates satellite data and AI to model scenarios, aiming to improve on-time performance and reduce emissions by optimizing vehicle and crew deployment. For the patient population of airport operations managers and ground service providers, the promise is a shift from reactive firefighting to proactive, data-driven control.
Founders with runway experience
The company’s credibility stems from its three co-founders, who bring a combined three decades of aviation experience to the problem. CEO Anastasia Smyk and CTO Valentyn Zavadskyi, alongside co-founder Andriy Smyk, built the product informed by firsthand knowledge of industry pain points [Greencubator, 2023-2024]. This domain expertise has helped them secure backing from a mix of regional accelerators and venture funds, building a war chest to fund expansion beyond their initial Ukrainian deployments.
| Round | Amount | Lead Investor | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed | $120,000 | TechStars | 2022 [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, 2024] |
| Seed | $250,000 | SID Venture Partners | 2023 [AIN, 2023] |
| Seed | $550,000 | EU (reported) | 2024 [dev.ua] |
The path to a global tarmac
While the Ukrainian pilots provide a crucial proof-of-concept, INPUT SOFT’s ambitions are global. The company reports commercial negotiations and pilot projects across five continents, with validation partnerships involving major industry names like the Emirates Group, Dubai Airports, and Amadeus [Greencubator, 2023-2024]. This strategy of landing high-profile reference partners is a classic SaaS playbook for breaking into a conservative, relationship-driven sector like aviation. The next twelve months will be a critical test of whether the software can scale from controlled pilot environments to full commercial deployments at international hubs, converting interest into signed contracts.
Navigating turbulence ahead
For all its early momentum, INPUT SOFT’s flight path faces clear headwinds. The aviation software market is not empty; established giants like Amadeus and SITA offer extensive suites, while other niche startups target similar efficiency gains. INPUT SOFT’s differentiation rests on a specialized focus on ground operations and its AI-driven scenario modeling, but it must prove its solution is not just another dashboard but a fundamental improvement to the bottom line. Furthermore, the company’s Kyiv headquarters, while a source of resilient talent, introduces geopolitical risks that could complicate sales conversations with risk-averse global corporations. The company’s success will hinge on its ability to execute on three parallel tracks.
- Commercial proof. Translating pilot projects and partnerships into disclosed, recurring revenue with airports and handlers outside Ukraine.
- Product depth. Demonstrating that its AI features deliver measurable, peer-reviewable improvements in on-time performance or cost reduction compared to incumbent methods.
- Risk mitigation. Building a commercial and operational presence that reassures international customers about continuity of service, regardless of its development base.
The standard of care in ground handling today is a testament to the industry’s complexity: a fragmented, often manual process where delays cascade and fuel burns unnecessarily. For operations managers at airports worldwide, the problem is a daily reality of balancing tight turnarounds with strict safety and budget constraints. INPUT SOFT is betting that a cloud-native, AI-informed platform can bring order to this chaos, starting with the crews on the tarmac in Ukraine. Its journey from local pilot to global player will be a telling case study in whether digital transformation can finally take off in one of aviation’s most ground-bound domains.
Sources
- [LIGA.net] INPUT SOFT pilots at Ukrainian airports | https://ua.linkedin.com/company/inputsoftnet?trk=ppro_cprof
- [Greencubator, 2023-2024] IT ambassadors of sustainability in the aviation industry. The story of Input Soft | https://greencubator.ua/en/news/it-ambassadors-of-sustainability-in-the-aviation-industry-the-story-of-input-soft/
- [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, 2024] Input Soft company brief | https://www.perplexity.ai/
- [AIN, 2023] Ukrainian aviation startup InputSoft raises $250k | https://en.ain.ua/2023/05/02/ukrainian-aviation-startup-inputsoft-raises-250k-sid-venture-partners-is-among-the-investors/
- [dev.ua] Ukrainian startup INPUT SOFT raises €500,000 from the EU | https://dev.ua/en/news/500-000-ievro-dlia-input-soft-1776159747