“While the market is still very young in terms of online travel start-ups, we felt it was time we tried to ignite the first sparks of interest,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, editor and founder of WIT.

“After all, the winner of our Start-Up Pitch last year was from Japan, Trippiece, and we believe there is enough activity bubbling there for it to be interesting.”

Winners of the WIT Start-Up Pitch at the WIT Conference in Singapore last October, Ian Ishida (second from left), co-founder of Trippiece of Japan, with Fritz Demopoulos (second from right) and Kei Shibata (extreme right)

Entrepreneurs entering the WIT Start-Up Showcase will be coached by a panel of mentors and investors to prepare them for a 5-minute live pitch at the WIT Japan conference at Hotel Nikko. Coaching sessions will be held the day before, May 23, at Venture Republic’s offices in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

The winner, who will be chosen by the panel of judges on May 24, will walk away with a US$1,000 cash prize, a return air ticket from Tokyo-Singapore, and two tickets to the WIT Conference in Singapore.

Entries are now open. To qualify, the start-up has to be from zero to two years old and be related to travel.

“We are looking for breakthrough ideas and smart, savvy entrepreneurs in the digital travel space who would like the opportunity to be coached and to highlight their company in front of an influential audience,” said Siew Hoon.

“It’s a great platform for budding entrepreneurs who want to have their idea validated and have the chance to network with and learn from experts in the business.”

Finalists will be chosen by the panel of mentors which includes Fritz Demopoulos, CEO, Queen’s Road Capital; Kei Shibata, CEO, Venture Republic Japan; and Morris Sim, CEO, Circos Brand Karma with more names being confirmed.

Email submissions to: [email protected] or [email protected] by March 31 and tell us, in less than 200 words, why you deserve this slot.

Your descriptive should include:
1.   Executive Summary
2.    About You + Your Team
3.    One Unique Selling Proposition