E534 | Nacho Tovar, IAG: Reinventing Aviation: CVC Strategy at 30,000 Feet
EUVC · EUVC
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Show Notes
Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC podcast, where Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier explore the cutting edge of European venture capital. Today’s guest is Nacho Tovar, who is the Group Innovation Director at IAG. IAG—the airline group behind British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling.
Together, they unpack how one of the world’s most complex legacy industries is retooling itself through deep tech, startup collaboration, and CVC-backed transformation—from synthetic fuels to quantum AI.
This is the CVC playbook for aviation, straight from the cockpit.
🎧 Here's what's covered:
02:02 How Childhood Dreams of Flight Became a CVC Career
05:12 IAG’s Six Investment Themes: AI, Automation, SAF, CX, Connectivity & Quantum
10:01 No Fund Yet—But €200M in Committed Capital Through the Balance Sheet
14:30 Why IAG Doesn’t Invest at Concept Stage (And Doesn’t Take Equity in Accelerator)
18:32 Nacho’s Career Path: Why Engineering + Accenture + VC = Ideal CVC Operator
24:34 Inside Iberia’s Turnaround: From €1M/day Losses to €1B Profit
28:47 Co-Investing over Leading: IAG’s Approach to Rounds
30:29 What Nacho Brings to the Cap Table: Commercial Scale, Access & Global Brand
32:54 The Secret Sauce: Airline Autonomy + Strategic Collaboration
34:08 How IAG Unlocks Strategic Value Post-Investment
39:23 Why Punctuality, Cost & CX Are All Linked in Aviation
44:59 The Airline-Customer Relationship: From Booking to Destination