International Airlines Group (IAG) announces strategic investment in wearable robotics start-up
- IAG has invested in Harvard University spin-out, Verve Motion through its corporate venturing arm, IAGi Ventures
- IAG will work with Verve Motion to test a new exosuit – a lightweight, wearable device designed to support the body and reduce physical strain – tailored to aviation use cases, with an initial focus on providing shoulder support for baggage handlers.
- The partnership will explore how this wearable robotics technology could help reduce physical strain, support colleague safety and improve efficiency across ground and cargo operations.
LONDON, 7 JULY - International Airlines Group (IAG) today announces a strategic investment in Verve Motion, a wearable robotics company developing exosuits that help workers performing repetitive lifting tasks. The investment, made through IAGi Ventures, reflects IAG’s continued focus on innovation to strengthen operational resilience, enhancing safety and productivity across aviation operations.
IAGi Ventures was joined in the funding round by new and existing investors, including HexArmor, a global leader in personal protective equipment. Verve Motion has now raised more than $55 million to accelerate the development and deployment of its technology.
Founded in 2020 by Spanish entrepreneur Ignacio Galiana and built on research originating at Harvard University, Verve Motion develops lightweight exosuits that reduce physical strain during manual handling tasks. The company's technology is already being used across logistics and industrial environments to improve worker comfort and reduce the risk of injury.
As part of the partnership, IAG will work with Verve Motion to trial a new exosuit designed specifically for aviation, initially focusing on shoulder support for baggage handlers. The pilot will explore how wearable robotics can make repetitive lifting tasks easier and help improve performance across ground and cargo operations.
Nacho Tovar, Group Innovation Director at IAG, said: "Verve Motion is exactly the kind of company we want to back through IAGi Ventures - a business applying innovative technology to solve real operational challenges. Led by an outstanding Spanish entrepreneur, the team has developed a compelling solution with clear potential for aviation.
This partnership gives us the opportunity to test and shape the technology in a live operating environment, helping us understand how it could improve the day-to-day experience of colleagues carrying out physically demanding work while also supporting more efficient operations. Through IAGi Ventures, we invest in start-ups tackling some of the industry's biggest challenges. Alongside funding, we can offer access to the scale, expertise and operational environments needed to help promising technologies prove and accelerate their impact."
Ignacio Galiana, CEO and co-founder of Verve Motion, said: “Baggage handlers perform some of the most physically demanding work in any industry, and IAG's leadership and commitment to their wellbeing and safety is exactly why this partnership is so important. As a global aviation leader, IAG brings a unique understanding of ground and cargo operations that will help us scale our technology to the people who need it most. We believe wearable robotics will define the next generation of worker protection and be as common as traditional PPE is today."
This investment aligns with IAG’s broader approach to backing promising technologies that can deliver practical benefits across the Group’s operating companies. By working with innovative partners such as Verve Motion, IAG aims to better understand how emerging solutions can be adapted to the specific needs of the aviation sector and create safer, more efficient working environments.
ENDS
Notes to editors
About IAG
International Airlines Group (IAG) is one of the world’s largest airline groups carrying 122 million customers to 285 destinations across 93 countries each year. Its leading airlines in Spain, the UK and Ireland include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL and Vueling. The Group also consists of two complementary businesses: IAG Cargo and IAG Loyalty. At IAG, transformation and innovation enable us to maximise value and efficiencies across the Group. IAGi, the Group’s dedicated innovation function, plays a critical role in scouting and accelerating breakthrough technologies that have the potential to reshape aviation.
About Verve Motion
Verve Motion is a wearable robotics company that develops connected exosuits designed to support workers carrying out repetitive and physically demanding tasks. Its technology is intended to help reduce strain, support worker wellbeing and improve productivity across industrial and logistics environments.