We’re excited to announce the finalists for the travel startup pitch competition at Travel Massive Asia Conference next week, with five early-stage startups from the Unites States, Singapore, United Kingdom, Belgium and Vietnam joining us in Da Nang to pitch to a live audience and judging panel.
Each startup will pitch to an international panel of judges including Phuc Le (Director, Da Nang Semiconductor and AI Center), Ally Hongo (Japan Travel Awards), Sally Bunnell (NaviSavi and TechStars 2023), and Max Kraynov (IQaaS advisory, ex-CEO of Aviasales/TravelPayouts, and Fun.co).
The finalists will receive valuable feedback from our judging panel, who will determine the winner based on a number of criteria including: business model, size of addressable market in Vietnam and Asia, customer happiness, sustainability, and their potential to disrupt the tourism and hospitality industry for good.
The competition will be moderated by Ric Gazarian (Extraordinary Travel Festival), and is proudly sponsored by the Travel Trends Podcast. The winner will receive 4 tickets to Travel Trends AI Summit on October 28.
Finalists will also demo at the Travel Massive Startups booth at HorecFex (26-27 August) — the premier technology event for the tourism and hospitality industry in Vietnam. This year’s event will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), digital business, and sustainable development in the tourism and hospitality industry.
There’s still space for you to join — we’re expecting over 3000 attendees and 80 exhibitor booths at the show.
Let’s meet the finalists who will be joining us in Da Nang!
Pangea is a social travel app built for people who want to turn their trips into shared experiences. It helps you connect with other travelers going to the same places, see who’s nearby, and start conversations before you arrive. Whether you’re heading out solo or with a group, Pangea gives you an easy way to make real connections while you travel.
Qrospay lets you pay via SEA unified QR code, helping to avoid hefty ATM fees and the inconvenience of money changers. Spend like a local when you pay on using the unified QR Code of the country you’re in. You won’t have to worry how many currencies you need to carry with you. It’s all on your phone, in your native currency, and converts only on what you spend locally. It’s like having local currency on-demand.
hoppswap is a home-swapping platform where users stay in each other’s homes instead of paying for hotels or Airbnbs, saving hundreds per trip. We charge a flat fee per person, per swap, unlimited durations with optional membership for frequent travellers. What makes us different is how we use AI to match people with properties not just properties with people. Our tech looks at user preferences, availability, identity layers, and values (e.g. LGBTQ+, women to women, family-only and accessibility) to deliver hyper-personalised, date-based matches that feel human and relevant.
SplitStay helps solo travelers save money and meet like-minded people by matching them to share accomodations. Our platform uses a simple link-based system: users paste an Airbnb or Booking.com URL, input their dates, and SplitStay matches them with compatible travelers based on destination, budget, and timing. We take a commission from each successful match and booking, creating a win-win: travelers cut costs, and hotels boost occupancy.
nuna is shaking up the hospitality industry by empowering hotels to break free from the grip of online travel agencies. Our strategic consultancy and direct sales solutions, along with cutting-edge booking technology and savvy marketing strategies, are designed to maximize direct bookings and boost your hotel’s visibility. It’s time to change the game, booking platforms shouldn’t earn more than hotel owners. Let’s keep more money in the local economy and support sustainable growth.
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Comments
I can't believe the startup competition is only a week away!
Congratulations to the finalists, and thank you to everyone who submitted an application to our call-out last month — we received many high quality applications from the around the world. Next year, we'll try to expand the competition so more people can join.
Not only are we excited to have five exceptional travel startups (from five different countries) pitch, but equally excited to bring together some extraordinary talent in our judging panel. We can't wait to see the pitches live on stage.
See you in Da Nang next week and be sure to drop by the Travel Massive Startups booth to meet our startups and team members if you're attending!
I'd love to tune into the pitch session if it might be recorded or livestreamed?