The Netherlands launches a program for mentoring startups: Travel Startup Accelerator

Travel Impact Lab and Transavia Ventures come into contact with impactful travel startups all year round. Both organizations are committed to helping startups further. Travel Impact Lab by connecting startups with its network in the travel industry and offering substantive programs to help startups with the growth process. Transavia Ventures by investing in Travel startups and making its own expertise, brand and partner network available. It is precisely in that combination that the strength of this new initiative lies. And that is why they are happy that Riksja Travel and ANWB have joined as partners. This will expand the network and give startups even more options for conducting pilots within the industry.
 

Increase chance of success

'With an accelerator program we can help startups that are ready for growth to significantly increase the chance of success. We help them with the critical success factors for startup acceleration: access to key partners, expertise, living lab environments and financiers; an environment in which you can work with full focus with guidance from coaches and mentors, and hands-on training in validating your proposition, business model, marketing and growth strategies," says Eelke Pollé of Travel Impact Lab.

The travel startups work together during a 12-week program in an inspiring co-work space in Utrecht. During these weeks, the startups receive targeted training, 1-on-1 coaching and mentoring sessions by experienced supervisors from the travel industry and access to strategic partners, pilot environments, possible first customers and follow-up investors. The startups receive an investment of €50,000 in the company in exchange for 8% of the shares. Half of this investment is invested in the full-time accelerator program, the other half is immediately available to the team.

Room for innovation

Nico Gielen, investment lead at Transavia Ventures: 'We see many new innovative initiatives emerging in the travel industry. And that makes sense, it is an attractive sector with many new challenges such as sustainability and overtourism. But we also see that many of these new initiatives often get stuck because they do not gain a foothold in the travel world. This accelerator will change that by optimally helping the most promising startups with intensive guidance and entering into partnerships with the larger players in this market.'

General information:

Startups that offer a unique solution within the travel industry can register until February 15, 2020 via [email protected] . The first selection is made based on the applications received, supplemented with a Skype conversation. The selection day will take place on March 2, together with all participating investors. The program starts on April 3, 2020 and ends during the Demo day on June 26, 2020.