Business aviation operators are often challenged with crew and aircraft shortages as they look to scale and meet the growing post-pandemic demand for air travel. With industry-wide staffing shortages, operators need to figure out how to attract pilots and other crew members — whether it be to fill full-time vacancies or add temp positions to meet urgent scheduling needs. Inspired to build a tech-forward solution, Alek Vernitsky and Alek Strygin co-founded Portside , which allows aircraft operators to share schedules, financial and maintenance data, and other key aircraft information with owners, banks and insurance companies through a web-based portal. Portside today announced that it raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors including I2BF Global Ventures, bringing the company’s total raised to more than $70 million. Portside is Vernitsky and Strygin’s second venture after tour agency startup GetGoing, which they sold to business travel management firm BCD Travel in 2016. Vernitsky was previously head of product at thredUp and for years was an SVP at BCD Travel (as was Strygin) following the GetGoing acquisition. “Portside provides an integrated platform and strives to be a one-stop shop for flight departments,” […]