Featured Startup Pitch: Flykt – A new take on travel

COMPANY: Flykt

ELEVATOR PITCH

An inspirational online travel agent.

PRODUCT/SERVICE DESCRIPTION

Flykt.com is an inspirational, budget-oriented travel website. The service does not ask for a destination, but for your keyword, a date, a budget, and a travel category. Flykt takes travel personalization one step further by bundling inspirational search with social media inputs.Our customers are all the travelers and travelers to be–all the people looking to explore the world and to get to know new places and cultures.

DIFFERENTIATORS VS. THE COMPETITION

Besides the classic OTAs (online travel agencies), there are a couple of companies who are trying to enter the space with an approach similar to ours. These include Tripmydream and Tripaya. On the other hand, some travel companies, such as Amadeus or Kayak (now also Google flights), have tried to offer ‘inspirational’ dynamic packaging-based products.

We are much more focused on the destinations and on the user, rather than on the routes. Our suppliers are merely means to find inventory, not the base of our product. We are focused on characterizing destinations and users and trying to make each suggestion as adapted to the request as possible–thus increasing the possibility of conversion. Also, we offer the ability to complete the full cycle, from inspiration to booking, without redirecting the user.

FOUNDERS’ STORY

The idea was born on a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mat. Pedro and Ricardo are training partners and have felt since they met that they should join in a venture together, one in which business (Ricardo’s experience) and Behavioral Science (Pedro’s expertise) could be brought together. Ricardo is a hardcore traveler and was talking about the frustration of finding places to go. As the idea started germinating in the breaks of sparring moments. After they sketched the idea, they talked to about a dozen developers who would go out of their way to explain how incredibly complex (and close to impossible) the project was. Then they met this really reserved developer who heard the idea, just answered “ok,” left the cafe, and sent them a programmed MVP two weeks after.

BUSINESS MODEL

Flight plus hotel or flight only.

HEADQUARTERS: Porto, Portugal

WEBSITE: flykt.com

YEAR FOUNDED: 2015

TWITTER: @flyktcom

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/flyktcom

LINKEDIN: linkedin.com/company/flykt