Finding the next big travel startup isn't easy -- just ask PhoCusWright
Skift Take
A startup doesn't have to be the next Expedia, TripAdvisor or Kayak to become a good business, but finding one sure would be like manna from heaven.
In its four-year history, PhoCusWright’s Travel Innovation Summit has always provided fodder about travel-startup trends, whether they be trip-planning, social travel, or mobile, at that particular moment in time, but its designated winners and finalists haven’t exactly set the world on fire.
Around 30 or so companies, mostly startups and a few established brands (Concur, Amadeus, MapQuest) will be competing today in Scottsdale, Arizona, to enter the 2012 TIS winners’ circle. Entrants which are less than three years old and have attracted $1 million or less in funding will be vying for a $250,000 convertible bridge loan from General Catalyst Partners.
Of the 21 overall winners and finalists since 2008, 18 of the companies still exist, and three are no longer breathing (RI
