- easyJet and Founders Factory announce new start-ups to join its travel tech accelerator programme
LUTON, UK, 2018-Jan-26 — /Travel PR News/ — Three more travel tech companies have been selected to join the start-up accelerator programme following the success of launch start-ups Flio and LuckyTrip
Each business will receive hands on support from Founders Factory and easyJet for six months to catapult growth and launch in Europe
The first cohort has gone on to secure significant funding rounds and deals with easyJet
easyJet and Founders Factory have today (24 / 01 / 2018) announced the new start-ups to enter its travel tech accelerator programme.
In October 2016 easyJet announced a strategic investment into Founders Factory, the corporate backed incubator and accelerator founded by Brent Hoberman and Henry Lane Fox. As part of their partnership, easyJet and Founders Factory will support the growth of five early stage travel tech start-ups every year, for five years. The latest start-ups to join this year’s programme are:
WeTrip: https://www.weski.co.uk/
An online, group travel booking platform founded in 2016 in Tel Aviv by CEO Yotam Idan, David Benzimra, Ben Lang and Roy Zinn. WeTrip enables small groups to plan and book activity holidays together, selling complete and bespoke holiday packages. Their algorithm is connected to distinctive activity suppliers comparing endless combinations of components to build real-time offers, according to the preferences of the group. Payment is also made simple as group members can pay separately. WeTrip recently launched its first product WeSki – the bespoke ski holiday booking platform.
Car and Away http://www.carandaway.com/
What’s being called the ‘Airbnb for Cars’, Car & Away is a peer-to-peer car sharing community where car owners make money out of their parked vehicle whilst they are away on their travels. Founded in 2016 by Andy Hibbert, former CEO of Reed & Mackay Travel, Car & Away seeks to provide an alternative to traditional car rental at airports.
FlightSayer https://www.flightsayer.com/
Founded by Berkeley alumni Dr Bala Chandran, Boston-based Flightsayer uses sophisticated simulation algorithms and machine learning to better predict flight delays hours, days, and weeks before departure. With a $1.75m grant from NASA, the company’s technology is being used in the US by corporations, airlines and travel management companies to improve travel experience and increase efficiencies with plans to adapt to the European airspace.
UK based scale-up TrustedHousesitters, the global community of pet sitters, also received advice from Founders Factory over six months on its continued growth and business strategy. As a direct result of being a part of the Factory programme, easyJet and TrustedHousesitters have partnered, enabling passengers to join the TrustedHousesitters community and choose a free house sitter for their pet or find free accommodation as a house or pet sitter when booking flights at easyJet.com.*
In September the first travel start-ups graduated the programme: FLIO, the global airport app, has since raised a seven-figure seed round and is live in 10 airports across Europe. easyJet and FLIO are now working on delivering a content integration to the easyJet: Travel App.
LuckyTrip are well advanced in creating a collaborative product with easyJet which will be integrated directly into the easyJet: Travel App, scheduled to go live early in 2018. Other highlights include being selected by Apple as the first “Meet the Developers” on the launch day of the new iOS 11 App Store, launching across more European markets and gearing up for its Android release in the coming months.
James Millett, Director of Marketing, Digital and Brand, said:
“We’re really excited by the growing portfolio of start-ups that have joined our Founders Factory programme. All the companies are addressing strategic opportunities in the travel industry and with the support of the talented Founders Factory and easyJet teams have a strong future. Working with the next generation of disruptive entrepreneurs keeps easyJet at the forefront of travel tech and supports our use of digital technology to make travel with us even easier.”
Henry Lane Fox, CEO, Founders Factory, said:
“Our in-house operations team provides intense, bespoke support to assist with the growth of these new businesses. Combine that with the industry knowledge and scale of easyJet, these companies have an unfair advantage not only when it comes to innovating the travel industry, but presents a smart way for international start-ups like Flightsayer and WeTrip to launch their technology across Europe.”
easyJet and Founders Factory accept applications for the accelerator programme throughout the year. To apply, visit http://www.easyjet.com/en/founders-factory
For further information, please contact the easyJet press office on 01582 525252 or log on to easyJet.com
Source: easyJet
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