Amadeus has announced the launch of its Amadeus Next start-up initiative at the Echelon Thailand 2015 conference, the gateway to Asia’s burgeoning tech start-up community. Amadeus Next leverages Amadeus’ technology, expertise, reach and funding, to evolve new and original ideas in travel, empowering travel start-ups in Asia Pacific to shape the future of travel. It also serves as a driving force to build an ecosystem of likeminded partners and organisations that are excited about travel technology, and looking to challenge the status quo. To date, there are six travel technology start-ups on board, including Klook, Orahi and Triposo and TopDocs, a platform for medical tourists to book a seamless medical travel experience.
Simon Akeroyd, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development said, “Amadeus Next is not a short-term project or a one-off investment, it’s a long-term partnership and commitment to create a collaborative travel tech startup community in Asia Pacific. To truly shape the future of travel, we need to work together, across the industry, and with travel players big and small, to create a collaborative ecosystem with the traveller at the centre. ”
Cassandra Italia, CEO and Founder, TopDocs said, “Amadeus is at the forefront of the travel technology industry and a major player in the travel start-up scene in this region. So partnering with ‘Amadeus Next’ was a no brainer. For our success and to go grow quickly we need access to leading travel technology, expert advisory from a global network with funding opportunities which Amadeus is providing.”
Additionally, JungleVentures, CyberAgent Ventures Techsauce and Hubba, Thailand’s start-up leader in terms of co-working spaces, technology events, technology media and startup education, have joined Amadeus Next.
Amartit Charoenphan, Founder and CEO, Hubba said, “It takes a leader to see changes and own the future rather than being reactive to technological disruption, and that is exactly what Amadeus does. We believe that big corporations have a lot to offer to start-ups, but Amadeus Next goes one step further. They truly work and think like a start-up and what they’re doing will be pivotal to the industry and to start-ups in the travel technology space.”
