7 Travel Startups Kickstarted by the UK Government
Photo Credit: Hundreds of startups have benefited from Innovate UK. Unsplash / Jaanus Jagomagi
Skift Take
Private equity flooded the travel industry during the pandemic, but many startups looked to the government’s Innovate UK arm, which continues to put millions of pounds on the table.
The UK government has been dishing out millions of pounds to startups during the pandemic through a special agency called Innovate UK. The catch is that the startups need to fit into its “build back better” ethos to accelerate the nation’s recovery, with some sustainability thrown in for good measure.
There's an eclectic mix of travel startups that have been competing for grants side-by-side with other sectors, mostly health technology firms, in different funding competitions.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research & Innovation, has been running since 2007, and to date has invested $3.5 billion in businesses, with match funding from the private sector taking the total value of projects to $6 billion. It claims to have helped 8,500 organisations create 70,000 jobs.
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Travel startups emerging from the pandemic cover a range of bases, from contactless valet parking and baggag
