Startups

Whether it's for vacation rentals or car-sharing, owners can sometimes take days to respond to a rental request. If Getaround expands the number of cars available and moves into new cities, then Instant Rental can be a quick way to resolve that dilemma.

Google Maps can’t direct you between buildings on a college campus or suggest the best photo ops on a scenic highway, so Falcon has a chance at filling a niche for a more social way to get places.

Car rentals seem a natural fit for GateGuru as its mobile fans work their ways through the airport. Hotels would be a no-brainer, too.

Getaroom is a niche player, but it is steadily growing and its unpublished rates over the phone are very appealing. Traditional online players may want to rethink their call center outsourcing and current practices.

The service may appeal to a community of travelers eager to share in the serendipity of a shared memory, but it will need to find a way to keep fickle mobile users and monetize before check-in balloons pop up around the globe.

Although the brand is likely over-estimating the number of users who will come calling with their credit cards and enough cool cachet, it deserves credit for launching a travel product that it expects people to happily pay for.

It feels like Tripbirds left one crowded party only to enter an even more cramped space and still attempt to steal the spotlight, albeit there is potential for higher revenue return here.

Content creation site Travelstrings is smart to target a niche group of study abroad students during its product development both to gain feedback and create buzz among a group that likes to talk a lot.

The startup's focus on mobile and social media distribution gives them a leg up on the country's outdated domestic tourism industry, which up until recently was dominated by a few big companies.

If Airbnb- and CouchSurfing-type accommodations cause concern about their legalities and risks, these issues are not dissuading important investors.