Ingenuity that works: What it takes to build a true challenger brand in aviation
A conversation with the CEO of Expliseat on timing, transformation, and leadership in brand building.
Expliseat is a true game changer, not only in the French industry, but across the global mobility sector. Since its founding in 2011, Expliseat has gained recognition for developing the world’s lightest aircraft seat, protected by over 100 patents. The company unveiled its updated strategy and identity at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2025 and has just raised €36 million – the largest capital increase in its history – to accelerate its transformation into a world-class industrial player. We sat down with Amaury Barberot, CEO of Expliseat, to discuss the company’s evolution, his perspective on the role of brand, and the importance of vision and leadership in brand building.
To kick things off, can you briefly introduce Expliseat to our readers? What problem are you solving, who are your customers, and what makes your approach unique in the mobility space?
Expliseat has a mission, which is to decarbonize mobility by equipping forward-thinking operators with the lightest seating solutions, without trade-offs. This not only advances sustainability, but also leads to significant operational efficiencies and improved profitability for operators.
The technology we’ve developed lightens the seats used in public transport, whether it’s aircraft, trains, electric buses, or coaches. All of the seats that contribute to the safety of the passenger.
We reduce their weight by an average of 30%. That means, for an aircraft, we save about a metric ton. And that leads to fuel savings and CO₂ savings.
We started the company 13 years ago. Back then, we were 23 years old. So honestly, we had no clue how to design a traditional aircraft seat. In a way it was a traditional way to approach innovation: We started from a blank page. And in our case, that meant designing a lightweight aircraft seat from scratch. We used new materials, carbon fiber composites and titanium, which, 15 years ago, were still quite new, high-performance materials.
The company really had two lives. One before COVID, and one after. Before, it was a niche company, with a very specific product – a super lightweight seat for airlines that were really focused on weight savings and willing to compromise on other things. We were fabless, a team of about 30 people. We served mostly smaller operators.
After COVID, we made a drastic change. We took part of that weight-saving benefit and used it to make a better seat overall. Still light, but now also more comfortable and appealing. And that took us from a very niche product to something that could address a much larger market.
At the same time, we built our own production facility. That was important to show customers that we were no longer just an engineering lab full of smart people doing crazy things, but that we were a full industrial player.
And over the last three years, the company has quadrupled in size. And we’ve started working with much bigger clients, Air France, Air Canada, and some others we’ll hopefully be able to talk about very soon.
"That’s what I’m looking for in a brand – pride inside, and reassurance outside."
When you think about your brand - and branding in general - how do you see its role as a CEO? Has that changed over time?
I would say, for me, the brand is like the second touchpoint, right after the human one. Usually, someone will first speak with me or someone from the team. That’s the first contact. But right after comes the second one: it could be the corporate desk, the website, an email, LinkedIn, a presentation. That’s when the brand shows up.
So yes, as a CEO, one of my jobs is to make sure the people in the company represent Expliseat in the right way. But also, since the brand is this second layer of contact, I need to make sure it speaks well about the company. And for me, that’s really about two things: pride and reassurance.
Internally, I want people to be proud of the company. Proud to say, “I work at Expliseat.” That’s very important. And externally, since we’re a challenger in a very established market, people often think, “If you small guys can do this, why didn’t the big guys do it already?” They’re skeptical.
So the brand also has to reassure. It needs to show: this is serious, this is reliable, this is solid. That’s what I’m looking for in a brand – pride inside, and reassurance outside.
There was a moment, maybe two years ago, when you decided to prioritize the rebrand. What triggered that?
That realization came maybe a year before the launch. Actually, at the Aircraft Interior Expo 2023, two years ago, where we also met. The company had already started to evolve. We were moving from a niche product to something broader. We had changed our product offering, our customers were changing… but people were still referring to the old Expliseat. They’d talk about our 2014 product, or how we used to be pre-COVID. Honestly, I was fed up with that. And I thought – how can they not see we’ve changed?
But then I understood why. From the outside, everything still looked the same. Same logo, same pitch, same brand. And that’s when I saw the problem. We had already changed on the inside, but the surface hadn’t changed at all. So people kept associating us with the past.
I think for some companies it’s the opposite, they change the surface, but the core stays the same. For us, the core changed first. And then we needed the surface to catch up. That’s why I said, okay, now is the time. We need to update the brand to reflect the company we’ve become.
What did you learn during the process that surprised you?
The number of touchpoints involved in creating a brand. In the beginning, I thought branding was the logo, maybe the name, some colors and that’s it. But actually, it goes way deeper.
There are things like the product trim and finish, that’s part of the brand. How something feels. The sound of a door closing. Even things like smell could be part of the brand in some industries. We didn’t go into that, but I found it interesting to see how far it can go.
And even now, we’re still exploring that. Like how the design of the seat, the trim and the finish reflects the brand. That wasn’t obvious to me in the beginning. But it’s part of the brand experience, and now I see that clearly.
How did you experience the early strategic phase? The part where we explored different narrative directions?
To be honest, it was not the easiest part. First, because I had just been appointed CEO. It wasn’t something I had done before. And second, because it was still right after COVID, so our strategy was not 100% clear yet. We had different options on the table.
So I was still trying to figure out: where do we want to go as a company? And how do we express that clearly? What helped a lot was the moment when you came back with two different narratives, two possible strategic directions based on the same inputs I gave you. That made it easier to see the pros and cons. When you only have one version in front of you, you can’t really compare.
So I found that very helpful to see how the same story could be told in different ways. It made the decision clearer.
“The brand doesn’t have to be passive. It can push the company forward. And that’s powerful.”
If you were speaking to another CEO considering a rebrand, what’s something you’d pass on?
At the start, I saw branding as something that was following the company, like the brand was behind the business. But during the process, I realized that the brand can also go ahead. It can actually define the direction.
It’s not just about reflecting who you are now – it can also help shape who you want to become. It gives people something to align with. So now I think of it differently. The brand doesn’t have to be passive. It can push the company forward. And that’s powerful.
How did you align your team around that new direction?
Actually, maybe suprisingly, it wasn’t just a leadership exercise. We tried to involve the whole company. You know this – we did workshops not only with the leadership team, but also with people from engineering, sales, diversification… different departments. It wasn’t about the CEO, CMO and CFO trying to define the brand on their own. It was about building something together. That way, the team feels ownership. And pride. Which is super important.
“I think the rebrand played a big role. It helped us break the mirror. Before, they saw the old us. Now, they see the company we’ve become.”
Have you noticed any changes since the rebrand, internally or externally?
Yes. One clear example is the U.S. market. That market used to feel totally out of reach. It’s dominated three main carriers, United, Delta, American… and some others. And for a long time, we thought: that’s not for us. It’s too far.
But now, things are changing. People there are saying, “We’re starting to see Expliseat differently.” And I think the rebrand played a big role. It helped us break the mirror. Before, they saw the old us. Now, they see the company we’ve become. That’s a big shift. And I hope it turns into a contract soon.
You also just raised one of the biggest funding rounds in the company’s history. Did the rebrand help in conversations with investors?
No one said, “I invested because of your new brand.” But investors are very sensitive to things like ESG, people retention, company mission. And the rebrand was a way to show we’re investing in all of that.
Many of our investors are not aviation experts. So they can’t judge the product in detail. But they can feel that we’re serious about the future. That we’re aligning internally. That we have a clear mission. And that was really appreciated.
Looking ahead, what are the biggest challenges you see now?
Our new tagline, and value proposition is “Ingenuity that works”. It’s exciting. It opens up new doors compared to the old one, which was “The world’s lightest aircraft seat.” That one was easy to understand, but quite limiting. This one is more ambitious.
But it’s also demanding. “That works” puts a lot of pressure on the ingenuity. It means we have to deliver. And at some point, something will go wrong – something won’t work. So we’ll have to ask ourselves: what does this mean in tough situations? How do we stay true to that promise?
And another challenge is consistency. A brand only works if it’s consistent across everything. I worry that as we grow, people might interpret the brand in different ways. We’ll need to be strict and manage that closely. Keep it aligned. And make sure the brand keeps evolving, but in a controlled way.
Internally, who do you see as responsible for protecting the brand?
We need someone to be the “bad cop”, the person who says, “This is the brand. Stick to it.” Because consistency is everything. But also, the brand needs to live and evolve. So we also need the “good cop”, the one who pushes for adaptation and keeps it alive.
And I think that responsibility is shared. It’s not just the CEO or the CMO. It’s something we all have to play a part in holding the line, but also pushing forward.
Is there a part of the new brand you personally connect with most?
Probably the logo. I’ve been with the company since the beginning, 13 years, and for all that time, we had the colibri, the little hummingbird. It was very close to me. So at first, it was hard to let it go.
I was very cautious about what would replace it. But I think we got it right. The new icon, the three lines, feels right. I even try to show it with my fingers sometimes! It’s become something I can identify with, and that was important.
Any final thoughts?
Yes. One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is how we translate the brand into product design. Updating a website or a template is one thing. But getting the product itself to reflect the brand – that takes more time.
And it’s crucial. The branding work won’t really be finished until our seats, the design, the form, the materials, speak the same brand language.
That’s the next big step.
“Ingenuity that works. It says everything.”
Let’s finish with a quick one. What is brand, in one word?
A lighthouse. Or maybe an institution. But I like lighthouse better. Something that gives direction. That shines for others. That helps you navigate. That speaks to people.
And Expliseat in a few words?
Ingenuity that works. It says everything. We’re not the same company we were. We’ve grown. But we’re still here to push boundaries and build things that actually work. That’s the essence.
Thank you for your time and openness – and for sharing such valuable perspective on the role of brand in shaping a company’s trajectory. I’m wishing you and the entire Expliseat team all the best as you continue building a true challenger brand in the mobility sector.
Thank you for the great discussion. All the best to as you as well.
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