Darren Huston

VR Companies Make Phocuswright's Hot Startups List

Phocuswright released its Hot 25 Startups list in 2019. Created in partnership with Voyager HQ, a club that interfaces travel startup originators, speculators, and companies, the rundown features the new businesses they believe have staying power in a crowded and fast-moving marketplace.

"The organizations on our list are those we feel have the best potential to have any kind of effect to their segment or market in the following a year – based on their ability to innovate, develop clients and extend geologically, just as the nature of their authority group," PhocusWire writes. "To rank potential objectively, we asked contributors to score each company on significant recent fundraising, press, partnerships, product, traction and acquisition potential."

Four vacation rental-specific organizations and one travel tech organization coming into the industry next year made the list, along with a few others that could make appearances in this space in the future.

Beyond Pricing

Dynamic pricing and revenue management software Beyond Pricing currently serves more than 150,000 listings across 7,http://youngunited.over-blog.com/2019/12/vr-companies-make-phocuswright-s-hot-startups-list.html000 cities. In 2019, it's aiming to grow to 500,000 listings and hit $3 billion in bookings, as well as eyeing boutique hotel accommodations and bed and breakfasts. The company has raised $3.5 million in venture capital led by Bullpen Capital and Resolute Ventures.

Luggage Hero

Copenhagen-based LuggageHero offers storage kiosks in shops for travelers to store their luggage for $1 an hour while they wait for their rental property to become available. Kiosks can be found in 310 shops across New York City, London, and Copenhagen, and the company plans to expand to 36 additional cities by January 2020. LuggageHero is also planning integrations to allow vacation rental managers, OTAs, and other third parties to offer luggage storage reservations directly within their platforms.

Slickspaces

Slickspaces automates guest entry, check-in, and check-out processes for property managers, apartments, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and other accommodations providers. The Vancouver-based company has raised $3 million in funding, including an investment from BlackPines Capital Partners Inc., whose founder and CEO is ex-Booking Holdings CEO Darren Huston. Huston also serves as Slickspaces' executive chairman.

TripTech

TripTech makes it possible to run native ads with real-time pricing and availability on top travel sites. The company will be expanding into vacation rentals, extended stay hotels, and other accommodations spaces next year.