Well, the answer will be revealed at the WIT Conference in Singapore on October 21-23 when the annual WIT Start-Up Pitch takes place. The competition is now open for submissions and entrepreneurs can submit their entries here.

This year’s competition, powered by Abacus Ventures, will give the winner the opportunity of a three-month coaching and mentoring stint at the division within Abacus International, which “aims to fund ideas and embrace innovation in the field of travel to create ‘new’ business lines”.

Shortlisted candidates, who will be invited to pitch at the WIT Bootcamp on October 21, will also have the opportunity to do “proof of concept” with AirAsia’s LaunchLabs as part of a partnership sealed between Web In Travel and Asia’s largest low cost carrier.

Finalists, who will be selected on October 21, will be coached for their final pitch on October 23 when the winner will be announced at the WIT Conference.

“It’s been interesting to watch the growth of our start-up competition – it’s really been in line with the evolution of the start-up scene in Asia,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, editor and founder of WIT. “We started the initiative three years ago when the scene was really nascent and now we are seeing more diverse players, more interesting ideas and higher level of professionalism among the teams pitching.

Rani Francois Marie-Saad,

“It’s a sign that Asia’s travel market is growing up – we are seeing markets fragment and new opportunities being created with the emergence of new technology. This, coupled with the growing interest of youths in Asia wanting to start up their businesses, is driving activity in the travel start-up space.”

“We’re pleased to support WIT’s Start-Up Pitch,” said Rani Francois Marie-Saad, director of Abacus Ventures. “We want to accelerate innovation and variety in travel and we believe the time is right to support entrepreneurs who want to have a go at solving some of the pain points in travel.”