Design Investment

What Design Investment does

Design Investment (DesignInvestment Sàrl) is a Geneva-headquartered aviation design consultancy founded in 2004 by Mark Collins and Alexandra Collins, operating as a Swiss private limited company (Sàrl) from Route d'Ornex 47, 1239 Collex-Bossy. The firm delivers end-to-end cabin, seat, and brand-identity design services to airlines, seat manufacturers, and OEMs, with a publicly disclosed track record of more than 10,600 seats in service across 24 aircraft cabin types and an 18-year continuous engagement with Air France. Its named product portfolio includes the Rendez-Vous Business Class seat, the Opera A350 Business Class suite, the B777 La Première First Class, A380 First and Business Class, the ACJ220 SkyRetreat and ACJ320neo VIP cabins, the modular 'unio' electronic component unit, and the Continuum high-speed train interior concept.

The business model is B2B project-based consultancy work for enterprise clients, monetized through design fees on flagship cabin and seat programs, complemented by an emerging platformized product offering (reusable seat platforms, the unio hardware unit) that suggests a longer-term shift toward licensable design IP. Customers span airlines (Air France, KLM, Saudia), seat manufacturers (Stelia Aerospace, Recaro), MRO providers (Lufthansa Technik), and OEMs (Airbus), with additional venture into business aviation (ACJ220, ACJ320neo) and luxury yachts (Nereids). Recent strategic activity — the 2026 Saudia A321XLR reveal, the 2026 iF Design Award for Air France La Première, and 2026 Crystal Cabin Award finalist status — indicates continued pipeline momentum and selective geographic expansion into the Middle East. The firm does not disclose headcount, revenue, or funding, and operates without any visible AI/ML capability, making it a craft-driven, founder-led boutique competing on domain expertise and long-standing client relationships.

Name

Design Investment

Legal name

DesignInvestment Sàrl

Website

https://designinvestment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DesignInvestment Sàrl is a Geneva-based aviation design consultancy founded in 2004, delivering cabin, seat, and brand-identity design services to airlines, seat manufacturers, and OEMs across Europe and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Cabin Interior Design

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (541420), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aerospace Interior Materials & Components (Cabin) (IMABANAI), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Aviation cabin design
• Aircraft interior design
• Business class seat design
• Transportation design consultancy
• VIP aircraft interiors

Headquarters

HQ city

Collex-Bossy

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Design Services and Project Consulting: DesignInvestment generates revenue through project-based design consulting engagements with airlines, aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), and private/VIP clients. Services include cabin interior design, seat design, industrial design, transportation design, color/material/finish (CMF) specification, and design visualization. The company maintains long-term client relationships with major aviation industry players.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DesignInvestment is a Swiss aviation-focused design consultancy delivering holistic design solutions from concept to implementation. Its core work is transportation, industrial, and interior design for aircraft cabins and seating — including business class, first class, premium economy, and VIP private jet interiors — for airlines (Air France, KLM, Saudia), aircraft OEMs (Airbus), seat manufacturers (Stelia, Recaro, Zodiac), and MRO/VIP providers (Lufthansa Technik). The studio also produces CMF specification, design visualization, and R&D innovation through its internal Invention Lab.

Product overview

DesignInvestment is a holistic design studio offering services from concept to implementation, specializing in aviation cabin interior design since 2004. The company provides Transportation Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Colour/Material/Finishing (CMF), Design Visualization, and R&D Innovation services. Their core methodology combines the Design Identity Story tool and Design-to-Engineering-Guidance approach using parametric 3D software. The portfolio includes cabin interior products like the A350 Business Class Seat (Opera A350), B777 First Class 'La Première' Suite, A380 First Class and Business Class Cabins, Rendez-Vous Business Class Seat, ACJ220 SkyRetreat VIP concept, and ACJ320neo VIP concept. Additional products include unio (an electronic component unit for aviation) and the Continuum train concept. The company also operates an Invention Lab for independent research and innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Invention Lab: Independent research division that develops out-of-the-box ideas for new ways of traveling, improving comfort, and reflecting on environmental impacts. Conducts conceptual cabin design, passenger comfort studies, R&D initiatives, and light studies.

Products and services

• Design Identity Story Proprietary design methodology/tool that leads the design development process in a focused manner, taking all design elements into account — from analytical research and brand value creation to idea creation through feasibility-conscious creativity exploration.
• Design-to-Engineering-Guidance Holistic approach that maintains permanent control over the design process at every step, particularly in engineering, using parametric 3D software tools with early-stage 3D modelling to guarantee results aligned with the original design intent.
• Transportation Design Services Transportation design services for the aviation industry and related transportation sectors, including cabin interior and seating design solutions.
• Industrial Design Services Industrial design services for creating products with combined functional and aesthetic qualities in the aviation domain.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services for cabin environments and spatial design solutions in commercial and VIP aircraft.
• Colour, Material and Finishing (CMF) Services Colour, Material and Finishing (CMF) specification services for aviation cabin environments, supporting brand-aligned material palettes and finish systems.
• Design Visualization and Product Graphic Design Services Visualization and product graphic design services supporting the presentation and communication of cabin and product design concepts.
• Invention Lab Internal research initiative that develops constraint-free conceptual ideas for new ways of traveling, improving passenger comfort, and exploring environmental impacts through conceptual cabin design, passenger comfort studies, R&D initiatives, and light studies.
• unio Standalone electronic component unit for the aviation industry, shaped as a table lamp, that extracts passenger-relevant but seat-independent LRUs from the aircraft seat environment and combines them into a fully customizable unit including ambient/reading lighting, AC power, USB-C ports, headphone jack, and wireless phone charging.
• Rendez-Vous Business Class Seat Business Class seat tailored for wide-body aircraft and long-haul journeys, designed as a sophisticated mini-lounge combining social travel and sharing experiences. Developed with Stelia Aerospace.
• Opera A350 Business Class Seat Herringbone Business Class seat for Air France's A350 wide-body cabin with full-lie-flat bed, full privacy doors, and full aisle access ('3F' concept), 21-inch seat width, and 20-inch monitor screen; unveiled at AIX Hamburg 2023 on the Stelia stand.
• B777 First Class 'La Première' Suite Air France's new First Class cabin on the Boeing 777 with four suites, each offering separate dedicated seating and sleeping within a full-height private environment, featuring a 75 cm wide bed and forward-facing seat; recognized with the iF Design Award 2026.
• A380 First Class Suites Six fully functional First Class suites with two central lounge areas for the Airbus A380 sales mock-up in Toulouse, featuring individual suite mood lighting, sliding doors, and generous comfort — the company's first A380 First Class Suite launched in 2006.
• A380 Business Class Cabin A380 main deck Business Class cabin with 26 high-density seats in herringbone layout, featuring pneumatic seat cushions, individual seat lighting, and improved sleeping comfort with 'space armrest' — developed with Recaro.
• ACJ220 VIP Cabin Concept SkyRetreat Contemporary and unconventional VIP cabin concept for the Airbus A220 in private jet configuration, with an observation deck for forward-facing views and an open-plan main cabin layout; created for Lufthansa Technik.
• ACJ320neo VIP Cabin Design Concept Interior design for the ACJ320neo VIP cabin, based on a Mercedes-Benz Style concept, featuring a helix structure connecting all cabin areas in a dramatic black-and-white appearance; delivered with Lufthansa Technik.
• Saudia A321XLR Cabin Design Narrow-body long-haul cabin interior design for Saudia's A321XLR reflecting the airline's new brand identity, delivering a warm, modern, and premium passenger experience; unveiled in June 2026.
• Continuum Train Concept Long-distance train concept featuring an autonomous capsule wagon linking to stations, allowing the train to run without stopping; invented in 2020.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 years in business since 2004, with 20th anniversary celebrated in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Stelia AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignInvestment partnered with Stelia Aerospace to elevate the Rendez-Vous Business Class seat concept, making it a compelling product offering for airlines. The collaboration also produced the Opera A350 Business Class Seat for Air France. The partnership leverages Stelia Aerospace's manufacturing capabilities with DesignInvestment's design expertise.
• Zodiac AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Zodiac Aerospace on multiple seat programs including the Cirrus-based B777 and B787 Business Class seats for Air France and the Zodiac Airgo FX-based Premium Economy Class seat. DesignInvestment transformed Zodiac products into brand-aligned cabin experiences.
• RecarosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the A380 Business Class Cabin showcase featuring 26 high-density seats in herringbone layout. Recaro provided seating expertise while DesignInvestment handled overall cabin design and integration.
• Lufthansa TechnikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignInvestment created VIP cabin concepts for Lufthansa Technik's ACJ220 and ACJ320neo aircraft. The ACJ220 SkyRetreat concept offers a striking contemporary design with observation deck, while the ACJ320neo features a Mercedes-Benz Style-inspired helix structure cabin concept.
• Hella JongeriussecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignInvestment served as design integration partner for the KLM B787 Business Class Seat designed by Hella Jongerius, ensuring maximum common parts between the Air France and KLM programs while maintaining each airline's individual brand character.
• Mercedes-Benz StylesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased on a Mercedes-Benz Style VIP cabin concept, DesignInvestment implemented the interior design for the ACJ320neo cabin, featuring a helix structure as the connecting feature for all cabin areas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Teague: Large US-based design consultancy with a major aviation practice (Teague Aviation), competing for airline interior and seat design work and offering broader product/transport design capabilities.
• Seymourpowell: Established London design and innovation consultancy with aviation and transport design work. A broader incumbent overlapping with DesignInvestment's aviation and luxury transport portfolio.
• Designworks (BMW Group): BMW-owned design consultancy with aviation interior and mobility design work. A larger, well-funded incumbent competing for premium cabin and luxury transport design projects.
• B/E Aerospace (now part of Rockwell Collins / RTX): Major aircraft interior and seat manufacturer (now under Collins Aerospace) whose in-house design teams and partner ecosystem compete with independent design consultancies for airline cabin projects.

Direct peers

• Factorydesign: London design consultancy with strong aviation interior and seat design portfolio, working with airlines, OEMs, and seat manufacturers — directly comparable in scope and client base to DesignInvestment.
• Acumen Design Associates: UK aviation-focused design consultancy with deep experience in commercial aircraft interiors and VIP completions. Direct competitor for airline, OEM, and VIP cabin design engagements.
• PriestmanGoode: London-based design consultancy specializing in aviation interiors, transport, and hospitality design. Direct competitor for premium airline cabin and seat design projects with a similar boutique-studio model.
• Tangerine: UK design consultancy with extensive transportation design work including aviation and rail interiors. Competes for premium cabin and seat design briefs from airlines and OEMs.

Emerging players

• New Territory: Boutique UK design studio with aviation interior and concept work. Smaller peer with overlapping capabilities in commercial and VIP cabin design and emerging reputational footprint.
• Layer Design: London design studio with transportation and product design work including aviation and mobility concepts. A smaller emerging peer with partial overlap in transport interiors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-investment
• Xx.com/en/privacy
• Pinterestpolicy.pinterest.com/engb/privacy-policy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design Investment