Easyjet has named WeTrip, Car and Away and FlightSayer as the travel startups it is backing for a Founders Factory accelerator programme
Easyjet has announced the latest budding startups chosen to take part in its travel tech accelerator programme, with WeTrip, Car and Away and FlightSayer its picks.
Back in October 2016, Easyjet announced a strategic investment into accelerator and incubator Founders Factory. As part of the partnership, EasyJet and Founders Factory will support the growth of five early-stage travel tech startups each year for five years.
The first group’s participation led to deals and funding rounds with the airline.
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Online group travel booking platform WeTrip was one of three successful startups this time round, which enables small groups to plan and book activity holidays together, selling complete packages. It has launched WeSki, a bespoke ski holiday booking platform, too.
Car Away has been billed as “the Airbnb for cars”, effectively a peer-to-peer car sharing community where owners make money from their parked vehicle while away on travels.
FlightSayer meanwhile, uses simulation algorithms and machine learning to better predict flight delays hours, days and weeks before departure.
The UK-based scale-up TrustedHousesitters, which offers to connect those going away with pet sitters, has also received advice from Founders Factory over six months regarding its growth strategy. After being involved on the programme, it secured a partnership with Easyjet to allow passengers to choose a house sitter for their pet from TrustedHousesitters.
Easyjet said the programme allows it to work with “the next generation of disruptive entrepreneurs” and keeps the airline “at the forefront of travel tech and supports our use of digital technology to make travel with us even easier”.
Henry Lane Fox, chief executive of the 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 startups like Flightsayer and WeTrip to launch their technology across Europe.
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