AeroVentures Private Aviation Services Introduction

AeroVentures is a private aviation advisory, brokerage, and investment firm that positions itself at the intersection of operational expertise, capital access, and digital innovation. It was founded by Bill Papariella (former Jet Edge CEO) along with other senior aviation executives, including Sergey Petrossov (founder of JetSmarter) as a managing partner and Jonah Adler as Chief Commercial Officer & Partner. Their goal is to modernize aircraft transactions by combining traditional advisory/brokerage with new tools and capital solutions.

Key People / Background

Bill Papariella

Bill founded Jet Edge International in 2011, starting with a small fleet of 4 aircraft. Under his leadership, Jet Edge raised substantial private equity, expanded its fleet (both owned and managed), created its own brokerage arm (Jet Edge Partners), acquired other operators (e.g., JetSelect), and scaled its operations. In 2022, Jet Edge was acquired by Vista Global.

Sergey Petrossov

Co‑founder of JetSmarter, which used technology to enable shared private jet flights, seat‑booking, and on‑demand charters. Under Petrossov’s leadership, JetSmarter raised significant funds and was eventually acquired by Vista Global, merging with XO. Petrossov joined AeroVentures as Managing Partner, bringing this digital / marketplace / growth experience to bear as AeroVentures builds its digital tools.

Jonah Adler

Previously Chief Commercial Officer at Jet Edge International before its acquisition by Vista. Now Chief Commercial Officer & Partner at AeroVentures. He helps lead the commercial strategy, leveraging his experience in aircraft sales, charters, and broker relationships.

Overall, the team has been involved in over $4 billion in aircraft deals and operated over 200 aircraft. This gives them plenty of perspective for the tools and services that they offer.

Services & Tools

AeroVentures offers several interlocking services and tools, typically aimed at clients who are buying, selling, owning, or operating private aircraft and who need advisory, transaction support, and financial structuring. The main offerings include:

• Buying Advisory: Helping clients with choosing aircraft model, market analysis, negotiation, and closing.
• Selling Advisory: Managing the full process of selling aircraft, leveraging their global network, ensuring discretion and maximizing value.
• Asset Finance Solutions: Tailored lending / credit solutions; financing aircraft acquisitions; bridge financing; offering quotes within 24–48 hours.
• Digital Marketplace / Owner Tools: Their “Owner Marketplace” platform provides tools for owners to explore off-market listings, run ownership cost simulations, receive real-time valuations, produce pro formas, compare aircraft, and more.

SherpaReport spoke to Sergey Petrossov about Aero Ventures, its services, tools and the plans for the new company.

SherpaReport: The private aviation industry is one of the most demanding categories in luxury. You have started companies in this space before, why are you still interested in making even more of a mark in the industry with Aero Ventures?

Sergey Petrossov: My past success came from challenging the norms of private aviation and using technology to unlock untapped demand. At JetSmarter, we saw two core opportunities. First, the process of booking private flights was slow, opaque, and frustrating. By digitizing it, we gave customers speed and reliability. Second, we realized that the market for private flying was much larger than the traditional charter segment. There were corporate travelers, fractional owners, cardholders, and a new category of customers who could afford more private aviation if structured differently. By addressing both, we expanded the audience for private flying and increased trip frequency for existing private fliers.

After Vista acquired JetSmarter, I led the combined JetSmarter + XOJET platform. There, we learned that technology alone wasn’t enough — true excellence required vertical integration. By uniting consumer distribution, assets, operations, and technology, we created a sustainable model that XO still benefits from today.

On the ownership and sales side, I see the same gaps we once saw in charter: fragmentation, inefficiency, and an information deficit. Aero Ventures was created to solve those — bringing speed, data, advisory and capital into one ecosystem — just as we once did for charter.

SherpaReport: How will Aero Ventures transform the private jet ownership experience — what does it do right now that other companies don’t do for clients?

Sergey Petrossov: Today, most aircraft sales require weeks of back-and-forth, incomplete information, and outdated valuations. Aero Ventures fixes this by combining real-time data with transaction speed.

Our platform aggregates market intelligence — true transaction prices, on- and off-market availability, and detailed aircraft specifications — and produces instant fair market values. We layer in decision tools like absorption rates, five-year ownership cost simulations, residual value forecasts, and comparative charter economics. Instead of a static listing, clients get a dynamic, consultative decision framework.

On the capital side, we offer options most brokerages can’t. Sellers can receive immediate cash offers within 48-hour, or structured liquidity that provides funds upfront with shared upside later. This flexibility — combined with transparent data and consultative support — transforms ownership from a fragmented process into a fast, clear, and empowering experience.

SherpaReport: There is much talk of AI helping many different parts of the travel industry. How does AI factor into AeroVentures and private jet brokerage, charter, and aircraft management?

Sergey Petrossov: AI is the engine behind Aero Ventures’ competitive edge. Traditionally, brokerages relied on analyst teams manually updating valuations and market reports. We’ve automated that work.

Our AI agents pull real-time aircraft specifications, transaction data, and market comps, then generate instant, accurate fair market values. They also model cost-of-ownership scenarios, factoring in charter revenue potential, tax treatments, and financing structures. The more transactions we ingest, the smarter and faster the system gets — a self-reinforcing data flywheel.
For clients, that means industry best insight at digital speed, delivered in seconds instead of weeks. In a market where time is money, this is a major differentiator.

SherpaReport: Aero Ventures is calling its new platform “the aviation world’s equivalent of Zillow, Edmunds, Carfax, and Carvana combined.” That is an interesting dynamic. Please explain how this will be applied to the private aviation category.

Sergey Petrossov: That analogy reflects the multiple layers of value we are bringing together. The platform provides transparent, real-time market valuations, offering a clear view of what aircraft are worth, how markets are trending, and how quickly aircraft are trading. It helps customers understand which aircraft hold value best, what features matter most, and what ownership actually costs over time. It ensures verified, vetted data, providing accurate histories, and true comparables. It also allows for flexible transaction options, giving owners and buyers the ability to list, trade, or sell aircraft quickly.

Unlike public listing sites designed for traffic, our platform is a curated environment for qualified buyers and sellers, typically focused on aircraft in the ten million dollar and above range. It is not about showing everything. It is about providing the best, most accurate, most actionable information and pairing it with high touch consultative support to help clients make the smartest decisions.

SherpaReport: . What is Aero Ventures' vision and mission for the future? Where do you see the company in three years?

Sergey Petrossov: We want to modernize private jet ownership by combining the best data, the fastest delivery, and the most flexible capital solutions in the industry while maintaining a consultative, relationship driven approach that keeps us connected with clients long after the transaction.

In three years, we see Aero Ventures as the trusted digital and human powered ecosystem for buying, selling, and managing private aircraft globally. It will be the place where vetted owners and buyers can instantly access market intelligence, transact confidently, and receive ongoing support across their ownership journey, from negotiations and acquisitions to trade-ins and fleet upgrades.

We are not trying to replace the human side of aviation. We are elevating it. By solving for the two biggest pain points, lack of information and slow delivery, we believe Aero Ventures will become the hub where the world’s most discerning aviation clients begin and manage every major ownership decision.