Virginia Beach, Va.-based Kilsar, which is building a platform for aviation maintenance and training by capturing current knowledge, has announced the closing of a $3.7 million seed round co-led by Lightbank and New York-based Cotulla Holdings. Techstars and Lithuania’s Scalewolf, a dual-use accelerator and venture firm, also participated.

The company said it has formed a new strategic partnership with the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) to help address the growing crisis in aviation maintenance training and workforce readiness.

“Our mission is to preserve and scale what’s been traditionally trapped in the heads of retiring maintainers,” said Kilsar founder and CEO Brendan Lawlor, who previously worked at the debt firm PRA Group. “We’re proud to partner with AIM, one of the nation’s largest aviation training institutions, to modernize the training pipeline and ensure the next generation of technicians is prepared for the evolving demands of the industry.”

Lawlor, who earned a BS degree with focus on AI from James Madison University, oversaw Data & Analytics, Strategy, and Compliance at PRA Group. In his prior job at IT firm Mosaic Labs, his responsibilities included “discovery, the software development lifecycle and refining of digital products,” besides data analysis. At Kilsar, he is now building an AI-powered platform, including a knowledge database with advanced search functions.

Kilsar is developing its technologies for dual use — defense as well as commercial, as it addresses what it calls a crisis in aviation maintenance, as well as related skilled trades. The sector is in urgent need of revitalization, with experienced technicians aging out and student interest in trades declining, the company says.

“Orion platform helps bridge that gap by capturing expert insights from veteran technicians and transforming complex maintenance procedures into interactive, step-by-step digital workflows,” the company said. “The platform empowers both new learners and active maintainers to upskill faster, reduce time-to-diagnose, and operate with greater confidence and precision.”

Kilsar said it would use the funding to expand its engineering and deployment teams, accelerate onboarding across defense and commercial maintenance organizations, and further develop Orion’s real-time AI assistant, which aims to replace static manuals with searchable, enriched content.

Cotulla Holdings is a private equity fund whose first venture investment is in Kilsar. Founded by Jared L. Solomon, the New York firm previously ran Cotulla Aviation, a buyout fund targeting the air transportation sector.

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