Winner Announced in the First Air Pitch Startup Competition, from Skift and the Accenture Amadeus Alliance
Skift Take
If you think the global airline industry is impervious to change but in need of major disruption, you’re not alone. That’s why Skift and the Accenture Amadeus Alliance launched their first Air Pitch Startup Competition to highlight three companies that are bringing innovation to the sector.
At Skift Forum Europe this year, the Accenture Amadeus Alliance put out an open call to startups. Together with Skift, the Alliance was looking for creative solutions to intractable airline industry problems, involving not just ticket sales and distribution but also the in-flight experience and operational efficiency. After a month-long vetting process, three finalists were chosen to present their ideas to kick off the Skift Global Forum 2018, held in New York City this September.
“We’re looking for startups in the airline sector that are innovating, providing services to airlines,” said Skift founder Rafat Ali, in his introductory remarks for the finals.
The competition had over 50 startups apply. In the final round of the competition the startups Mekl.io, Volantio, and Wonder each gave five-minute pitches to — and fielded tough questions from — a panel of airline-industry executives as well as experts from the Accenture Amadeus Alliance in front of a crowd of 400-plus travel insiders. Skift’s travel tech editor, Sean O’Neill moderated the evening, held in the 36th-floor Mandarin Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental, New York.
In the end, Volantio triumphed. The company, which uses software to help airlines like Qantas and Volaris maximize revenues and minimize unsold seats, secured an invitation to the Accenture Amadeus Alliance Innovation Center in Dublin, where founders Azim Barodawala and Fenn Bailey will participate in a five-day design sprint so that they can and map their idea to an actual client issue, in order to generate market traction. The team also won $5,000 in prize money, a one-year subscription to Skift Research Reports, an airfare for two to Dublin, and two four-night hotel stays in the city for the duration of the residency.
“We were ecstatic,” said Barodawala. “Not just because it was cool to win but because it’d be exciting and transformational for the company.”
The two runners up were Mekl.io, an app that lets airlines offer customers customize offers, and Wonder, which simplifies the process of paying claims and issuing vouchers. (Find more on all thr
