While incubator and accelerator programs continue to maintain popularity in the start-up community, certain verticals are realizing that these programs don?t necessarily address industry-specific concerns.
To date, there have been two dedicated accelerators for travel: Welcome City Lab and RunUp Labs.
RunUp Labs, the first travel-specific accelerator program to demo a full class of graduates, focuses specifically on the challenges and opportunities in the travel industry.
The program is:
?specifically designed for startups who aim to change the way we travel. We?re looking for the most innovative ideas in and around travel, not just for flights and hotels, but anything that will truly change the way people move from place to place and spend their time away from home.
The accelerator program is based in Bloomington, Indiana, and features a robust collection of mentors, including folks from larger travel companies like Sabre, American Airlines, and Google, in addition to startups like Desti and Where I?ve Been.
Veteran travel mentors from across other specialities are also accessible, providing a truly broad-yet-deep immersion into the travel space.
This access to mentors was one of the key drivers of success for this initial crop of startups ? always a difficult task with any new incubator.
Brad Wisler, co-founder of host venue SproutBox and program lead:
Obviously, being our first class this was the hardest one to fill. But we were really fortunate because we had such a strong group of mentors. They helped us cast a wide net and promote the program.
The initial class was still nonetheless a solid one, reinforcing the quality out in the market that might benefit from the close proximity of the a same-industry sand box.
I was really impressed with the pool of applicants. I?m very happy with the way it came together, especially the diversity of the class.
We didn?t want to end up with a class of companies that were just new sites that were new ways to search or book the same inventory. We didn?t want a class full of travel inspiration sites.
We wanted a class of companies that were really changing the way we travel or a set of tools that were changing the travel experience. We wanted opportunities that were exciting, disruptive or impactful on the travel experience. I think we got that. 7 companies, each of which are doing something very different. Only one of them even has a booking component.
Every one of them is a real business. Each one has a shot at doing something big.
As far as investors are concerned, there is a very real interest in the industry, according to RunUp Labs participant Mat Orrego of Cornerstone Information Systems:
From an investor?s standpoint, I?m now looking at 7 companies that have a really good chance of attracting full investment and now understand that their ideas are going to fit into the travel industry much better. They?ve spoken to all kinds of people from different sectors of travel and technology, and they?re very well-versed in their particular space and the travel space in general.
There?s a lot of legacy process within this industry that you need to understand and need the help of people that are going to mentor you through that. These will be barriers to your success.
I think its really important that a lot of startups that are going into travel have a process that educates them about the industry.
The mentors who participated also offered plenty of perspective as far as succeeding in a fragmented industry with steep inventory access related barriers to entry.
Focus was one of the paramount lessons of the first class: it?s important for travel startups to consider their entry to the marketplace by targeting one particular segment and then scaling from there.
Brad Wisler:
One of the things we might do next time around is to narrow the focus upfront in the selection process. This would help provide the entry point into the market. For example, a startup might eventually do flights and tours or all of the above, but first let?s find the best way to enter the market and get traction.
What I?ve seen so many times is companies trying to do everything but nothing well ? and they never find enough traction in a particular segment.
All 7 companies that entered the program made it to Demo Day, and are tackling some unique angles on the travel experience. Tnooz reached out to each of the teams to learn more about their products, stories and visions.
Feethere
Feethere ?allows?developers of apps and digital games?to?make money?by?driving?real?world traffic to brick-and-mortar?businesses and?travel destinations.? It?s an?an immersive mobile marketing platform that 1) allows merchants with brick and mortar stores to bid for desired foot traffic and 2) allows app developers to sign up to drive traffic to those sites, and get paid for it.?
Only 5% of app users actually pay for something in-app, so the idea is to create valid revenue streams tied to real-world businesses for the other 95%.
The team consists of Chris Borland, Rob?Pendleton and Joseph Tzeng.
From the team:
The idea for FeetHere was born four years ago when Chris Borland (co-founder and CEO) was talking with his brother about driving foot traffic to retail stores using location based games. Chris was looking for new ways to get paid with mobile games, without annoying users. His brother was thinking about getting people in his stores because there is a higher percentage of getting a person to buy if they are actual in the store.
Feethere can be found on the Web?and?Twitter.
Pocketcab
PocketCab is a ?direct-to-driver mobile application connecting taxicab drivers and passengers throughout underserved tier two cities in geographically similar clusters,? while building? ?a network of reliable, business?minded drivers that passengers that can freely access, pass information, and complete transactions without the headache of dispatch or the segmentation of companies.?
Basically, by focusing on the driver and eliminating the dispatcher, they aim to connect customers directly to drivers ? reducing wait times and increasing efficiencies.
The team is Avram Rampersaud and Todd Cutler.
From the team:
What we?ve found to be true is that most?cab?companies don?t have a?distinguishable brand to customers, however individual?cab?drivers have incredible branding power for their service.?PocketCab?sees taxi drivers as small business owners and our main focus on the driver side is to build a platform for drivers to better manage their business connect with customers who enjoy their service and make more money.
Pocketcab can be found on the Web, Twitter, and Facebook.
My Trip Was
My Trip Was ?enables?powerful?content?marketing?for?tour?operators using?their?own?post-trip ?surveys.?
The team is Aaron Chan and Jeremy Thomas, and are working on rolling out the second prototype of their platform.
From the team:
These days tour operators are spending tons of money on pay-per-click because they don?t have time to market online effectively.??My Trip Was is a social discovery and brand amplification platform to help them.
Our product is a subscription-based service for tour operators.??With their subscription they receive access to a guest card, a lightweight mobile survey that they can send to their guests after they finish a trip.??Their guests complete the guest card and submit their data back to an analytics dashboard.??From here the operator can take advantage of the business intelligence and CRM data that our guest card provides.??But even better, from here they can push their guest cards? content out into their online marketing channels.
My Trip Was can be found on?Twitter.
Tourize
Tourize?is ?a?ground-breaking?app?enabling?production and ?consumption of guided?tours on Android or?iOS?devices.?
From the team:
There needs to be a better way to share the knowledge and experience of local experts to the tourists visiting. Tourize has no lines, no minimum number of people needed, and no time restrictions. Tourize allows any local expert to share and publish their guided tour and allows the tourist to experience it on their own device, own time and own pace
We finally allow you to slow down or press fast forward on every guided tour. Tourize allows you to learn more about the museums, attractions, and parks you visit, but allows you to do so on your terms.
Tourize can be found on the Web, Twitter, and Facebook.
Evacua
Evacua ?helps corporate and individual travelers get home safely by making unpublished inventory available in emergency situations.?
These sort of emergency situations are rare occasions, but are incredibly expensive when they actual do occur. The ability to get out quickly and safely in an emergency, using ride-sharing principles, is a valuable peace-of-mind service for both corporate and individual travels.
Members can use the Evacua app for real-time travel intelligence, and can request a ride from the network of private jets already flying in the area. Or, alternatively, members can group together to charter a jet together.
The team is Charles Brossman and Mike Beckwith.
From the team:
International travel is becoming more frequent for companies and leisure travelers. More travel means?travelers are faced with more risk. Travelers head out to their destinations, but usually without a plan in place to make sure they get back home safe. Even when they do have a plan, when emergencies interrupt their trip and an evacuation is needed, it is ?every man for himself? to get out.
Typically, travelers unnecessarily depend on government or commercial transport to get them out. Some travelers end up waiting around for days or weeks without a way out. Meanwhile, half empty private jets fly in and out of airports that could have been filled with other travelers in need. Our company was built to?deliver technology solutions that enable companies, travelers and private transportation providers to collaborate during emergencies.
Our platform allows for a more efficient, and affordable evacuation process.
Evacua can be found on the Web, Twitter, and Facebook.
Peoplocity
Peoplocity ?allows?customers?to?connect?directly?with empowered managers before they trash brands on social?media.?
The app provides a direct connect to empowered employees, so consumers can get immediate resolution to a problem ? before jumping on Yelp, Twitter, TripAdvisor, Facebook, etc. to vent frustrations without any recourse.
?From the team:
Peoplocity was born from my desire to vastly improve the consumer experience. Having been a Brick & Mortar entrepreneur my entire life (mostly food and beverage), and attending?Cornell University?s School of Hotel Administration- I discovered early in my career the advantages of differentiating my businesses by providing first-class competition-crushing customer service.
The challenge came as my organization grew to include multiple locations. ?It was clear that to success it was imperative that I train my management members and employees to adopt my Customer Service methodology ? seek out and respond quickly to the voice of the consumer
Peoplocity can be found on the Web?and?Twitter.
Trekkable
Trekkable?is ?crowd -sourcing?unique?content?to?become the authority for travelers with mobility challenges.? Wheelchair users and those with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to travel services. An already challenging activity becomes even more so when faced with operators, facilities and destinations that do not address the needs of the community.
The team is Aaron Chan and Jeremy Thomas.
?From the team:
Having used a wheelchair for more than 20 years, traveling has brought a certain sense of connection with people and the world at large, showing me a vibrant life that even a wheelchair couldn?t hold down. But it was clear to me early on that traveling with any kind of special consideration because of a disability was unreasonably difficult. Those who want a smoking vs. a non-smoking room are accommodated easily and reliably. Why aren?t people with disabilites?
Customers like me take 33 Million trips/year and spend $13 Billion/year in North America alone.
Trekkable?has a revolutionary rating system that gives valuable context through the lens of accessibility, enabling our customers buying decisions in ways like never before. We increase both activity and frequency of travel in doing so. As a booking engine,?Trekkable?captures special requests by the Customer and communicates them to the Service Provider efficiently, accurately, & reliably.
Service Providers invest time and money on accessible infrastructure out of legal obligation.?Trekkable?turns what is perceived as a liability or ?extra effort? into a valuable asset, by forging a unique link with our customer base.
Trekkable can be found on the Web, Twitter, and Facebook.
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