$50,000 investment. Apply Now!
In each startup we will invest up to:
$25,000 in cash.
$25,000 worth in professional advisement, fundraising and business services.
Matt and Nicole Zito, veteran travel entrepreneurs and startup advisors are the Managing Partners of Travel Startups Incubator a new travel technology incubator dedicated to investing in the world’s most talented travel entrepreneurs and early seed stage travel technology ideas. We have made five investments Proxce, FlitWays, Tutton, Trveler and a Austin TX startup in stealth mode we will be announcing soon.
Managing Partner and lead advisor Matt Zito says, “we are focusing on mobile travel technology, segments within the travel industry to include in-destination products, hotels, tours and activities, distribution, B2B, travel advertising and corporate business travel. Mobile is the future for the travel industry. The best travel investments in the next 5 years will be bets made in mobile travel startups. Will we look at other travel investment opportunities for sure but mobile will be our core focus.”
“Nicole and I built two successful travel companies in our 20’s and early 30’s. CollegeSkiTrips.com an online travel agency (OTA) for college students and the Yellow Breeches House a boutique lodging property for fly-fishermen. Advising and consulting in the travel industry was the next evolution for us as entrepreneurs after we sold both businesses.”
In 2012 the Zito’s launched the Travel Business Academy a 5-module online startup course that teaches entrepreneurs how to start a travel business. Over 150 global entrepreneurs have taken the course since inception with a dozen graduates successfully launching their startups. In March 2013 the Zito’s launched TravelStartups.co a blog to help inspire founders to build great travel companies. Authentic stories and valuable insight into the business of travel helped the blog become popular, which lead to startup founders asking Matt to advise their companies. “We provided an affordable advisory service for $700 a month that we knew startups could pay, giving founders and their team, one-on-one access to us to help them build their travel startup. We successfully advised over 25 travel startups prior to launching the incubator.”
“We have amazing resources for founders at TravelStartups.co. The Travel Startup Founders Series are short inspirational interviews with the world’s leading travel CEO’s and startup founders including Steve Kaufer the Founder & CEO of TripAdvisor and Sam Shank the Founder of HotelTonight. The Travel Startup Founders Network recently launched with 33 members and is a private networking group where founders support one another and share insider dealings about the travel industry. Digital business tools like our Founders Dashboard, the Travel Business Academy and a hotel contracting video course are resources we use with our portfolio companies for the incubator.
In conjunction with the Travel Startups Incubator, we are launching the Travel Startups Investment List, a list of travel startups that are raising capital. The list will be sent to investors that have invested in and or are looking to invest in travel startups.”
Why we believe the Travel Startups Incubator is the best incubator/accelerator for travel startup founders.
- Build your startup where you live. We are a virtual incubator. We have office space available in Dubai, UAE and London, UK for any of our portfolio companies that need free space. Our office headquarters is in the Orlando, FL USA area.
- No application deadlines, submit your application when you are ready. We will review applications on a rolling basis.
- We believe our unique methodology and approach to sourcing, funding, advising and raising capital for our startups will bring us superb investment returns.
- Cash + Advising: Each startup will receive up to $25,000 in cash and $25,000 in advisement services within 4-months to help you build your travel startup and to acquire the next round of capital. We negotiate a 6%-20% equity for our investment.
- Mentorship: Each startup will be assigned one mentor to work with that is an active or former travel CEO, a travel executive or expert in the travel industry.
- We believe we have built one of the largest networks in the travel industry to assist startups with business development deals.
- Funding is available to do a follow-on investment up to $250,000 per startup.
- Access to the leading travel suppliers and technology providers in the world.
- Corporate travel partners are being lined up to help our portfolio companies gain immediate traction by providing access to their customers.
If you are a startup or potential investor and have any questions please email matt@travelstartups.co