Having completed its acquisition of Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI) from French aerospace giant Safran, Kingswood Capital Management has rebranded the business RAVE Aerospace and is positioning it for “accelerated growth” in inflight entertainment and connectivity — including as a key player in the connected seatback space.
The new moniker is appropriate. For nearly two decades, RAVE has been known as a ‘Reliable, Affordable, and Very Easy’ embedded IFE solution. With RAVE anchoring its portfolio, SPI successfully made a name for itself as a respected and agile industry challenger to incumbent players Panasonic Avionics and Thales and secured more than 100 airline customers worldwide.
“With Kingswood’s support, elevating our name to RAVE Aerospace makes our focus clear: delivering an exceptional cabin experience,” says Matt Smith, the former chief executive officer of SPI who continues in his role as CEO of RAVE Aerospace.
Supporting this vision is what RAVE Aerospace describes as its ‘Lean, Fit & Agile’ transformation. “It’s about sharper alignment, simpler processes, stronger foundations, and predictable delivery,” Smith explains. “We’re transforming to serve our customers with more speed, reliability, and innovation.”
Critically, as non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite constellations prove to be a disruptive force in aviation, and as passenger expectations evolve, RAVE Aerospace confirms to Runway Girl Network that it plans to further invest in the connected seatback experience, expand the digital layer, deliver seamless integration between IFE and inflight connectivity (IFC) and ensure that airline customers retain “full choice” when it comes to IFC services.
Though it provides its own IFC terminal hardware based on ThinKom Solutions’ popular multi-orbit Ka2517 VICTS antenna, and continues to support its customers, RAVE Aerospace is committed to working with “all” high-bandwidth IFC service providers — whether in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary (GEO) orbit or hybrid realm (such as LEO/GEO) — so airlines “don’t get locked into a single stack.”
In short, RAVE Aerospace’s embedded IFE system, including its forthcoming RAVE 5 offering, will integrate cleanly with whichever IFC service partner its customers choose.
RAVE Aerospace already boasts more than 100 airline customers, including China Southern, Icelandair, Etihad, Hainan Airlines, Starlux, Thai Airways, and SAS to name a few. Image from aboard a RAVE-fitted Icelandair 737 MAX attributed to Mary Kirby
“As IFC constellations make high‑bandwidth connectivity increasingly ubiquitous, the opportunity now lies in how effectively the seatback system uses that connectivity to deliver real‑time services, richer content, smarter caching, and a seamless digital experience,” Smith tells RGN.
A private equity firm based in Los Angeles, Kingswood is well-positioned to support businesses like RAVE Aerospace, which is at an inflection point in its development.
“With Kingswood’s backing,” Smith says, “we are investing where it benefits our customers most — seatback reliability, software intelligence, and the integration that transforms high‑bandwidth connectivity into a better inflight experience.”
Several areas drive RAVE Aerospace’s roadmap: next‑gen processing architectures for richer, real‑time digital experiences; highly modular hardware to reduce maintenance burdens; deep PED–seatback cohesion for seamless personalization; and the reinvention of content with over-the-air delivery and edge caching.
The firm says it is focused on delivering lightweight, energy‑efficient designs that drive “the lowest total cost of ownership,” and a broader digital platform that connects IFE, IFC, commerce, and operations. “We believe the challenger advantage for RAVE Aerospace is delivering the smartest, most connected seatback experience in the industry.”
Deep PED-seatback cohesion will support seamless personalization, says RAVE Aerospace. Image from RAVE Ultra-fitted Starlux A350 credited to Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
For Clayton Lechleiter, Principal at Kingswood, RAVE Aerospace’s renaming and renewed focus on growth could not come at a better time.
“Passengers today expect a seamless, intuitive, and connected experience in the air. RAVE Aerospace delivers on that expectation with a platform that combines reliability, innovation, and efficiency,” says Lechleiter.
As it readies for its next chapter, RAVE Aerospace has retained its Brea, California headquarters and embraced leadership continuity. To wit, Smith is supported by the existing leadership team.
“Keeping the leadership team intact was intentional — our customers want stability,” the RAVE Aerospace CEO notes.
The firm has also rolled out a refreshed visual identity and updated logo.
RAVE Aerospace holds a meaningful and expanding share of the embedded IFE market. It has long operated as the industry challenger and bills itself as being “faster, more inventive, and closer to customers than the larger incumbents.” With Kingswood’s investment, RAVE Aerospace says it will lean into that strength. Image: RAVE Aerospace
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Featured image credited to Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
