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On a cold & windy afternoon at the Olympic Park yesterday, the London Mayoral candidates from the main parties – Labour, Conserverative, LibDem, Green & UKIP – discussed their policies around technology and presented their “vision” for London’s digital future.

Cochaired by Tech London Advocates, Centre for London and techUK, the event had a strong premise for a debate around the plans for the mayoral candidates on London’s tech ecosystem. It came with a trendy event hashtag on twitter too: #debatetech

Prior to the event one of the organizers, Tech London Advocates, a private sector led coalition of over 2,000 expert individuals from the tech sector and broader community lead by Russ Shaw, had published an impressive manifesto describing the main challenges London currently faces and offering proposed solutions to tackle these issues.

WARNING: REACTION GIFS BELOW
(serious part ends here…)

I think the desired intent of this manifesto was for the candidates to take on board these proposals and offer their views/responses. However it soon became clear that few had actually read the manifesto at all.

The party candidates each kicked off main proceedings with a five minute speech outlining their overall vision for London’s digital future, none of which struck me as being particularly inspiring. The UKIP candidate included in the lineup provided the event’s entertainment & LOLZ by playing the role of “pantomime villain”.

His introductory speech could be summarized as “European regulations are very bad! Bad bad bad!” repeated over and over again – without any mention of the technology sector or any issues at all.

Seriously?

This was followed by questions from the public.

I think the facial expressions of the audience in this photo sum up the answers from the candidates quite well:

Speaking to other attendees after the event, nearly everyone was in agreement that none of the candidates stood out.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

An interesting remark one chap made was that all the candidates reluctantly (they were addressing a tech crowd) proclaimed themselves “anti-uber” – giving coy reasons as to why – with the most likely explanation being that they didn’t want to loose the vote from the black cab drivers & their powerful lobby group.

Good point!

Paul Graham’s tweet came to mind:

In a subsequent discussion online, a friend debated this:

I doubt the reason is that simple: there are more Uber drivers than cabbies. The debate is more nuanced than many people in the tech industry think. Consider the recent reports about Uber & tax, the way they treat regulations, the ongoing complaints about staff conditions (drivers recently went on strike in the US), and wider concerns about the concentration of power in a global platform or the eventual automation of the service through automated cars.

I do get surprised at how often people think Uber, a $62.5bn business in its last funding round, are the underdog. They give good service to passengers but they also have very good PR! We need to get that good service into all taxis but look past the PR to see the bigger picture about taxi services.

On the flip side, many say that black cab drivers have a much stronger lobby group, as explained on Fortune. The arguments made are reflected in the UK.

In my personal opinion, I think that simply protecting antiquated practices/industries that the candidates suggested is a shortsighted approach. The challenges posed need new solutions, not old ones.

Additional perspectives were offered by other attendees I connected with on Twitter:

Suki Fuller: Too much Boris name dropping. They all (well most) used the keywords but still didn’t really speak the heart of how they can improve London

They should have spoken more about Cyber Security. It’s a biggie and definitely more should have been said on the IP Bill…. It was too light especially given the audience.

Francesca Woodhouse: I haven’t changed my mind about who to vote for to be honest. It’s a tall order to be a tech expert when you are a political candidate but accepting the (albeit very good!) manifesto wholesale & not calling anything out was a bit mediocre!

I ran a Twitter poll to see if we could tell who came off best in the debate:

A tiny sample of answers, but interesting results considering how strong Labour support is in London (based on the last General Election). The Green party candidate Siân Berry did well – she was the only person who had experience working in a startup. As Alex Wood, editor of The Memo (see his whole take on the event here) pointed out – she was also the only candidate who spoke like a normal human being instead of a politician:

One last thing to consider was what one Tech London Advocate member pointed out: it was hard to spot anyone at the event who was actually a ‘technologist’ i.e. a programmer or coder. The reason?

So to sum up, I came into this debate about tech with very little knowledge about the candidates or politics but hoping they might have an interesting vision to share with us – and the feeling I left with was, well… something like this:

OK, so maybe that’s being a little harsh…

However it’s clear all the candidates have a long way to go to really convey a vision of London’s “digital future” – compelling enough to engage and get the tech community behind them.

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Cloud computing has a myriad of benefits, but also remains in its relative infancy – and that’s exciting for many businesses. In fact, even many businesses that don’t currently use the cloud could stand to benefit as the sophistication and practicality of cloud technology continues its seemingly relentless march. Here are our predictions for 2016…

Expanding number and diversity of cloud apps

Many productivity apps are already available as cloud apps. These include even many renowned and widely-used apps, like those of the Microsoft Office suite. We at RedPixie can help to get your business up and running with Microsoft Office 365 – and so enjoying a complete, no-compromise experience with the likes of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

However, as 2016 progresses, the cloud is likely to also increasingly become home to many apps previously thought too advanced to have much practical use on the platform. In fact, 2016 could be the year that almost any app you could think of becomes a strong candidate for inclusion in the cloud.

Further advancements in the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things, a smart framework that both Apple and Google have been working to develop, could increase in both its use and scope – and that’s thanks to the technology ultimately underpinning it, the cloud. As technology journalist Joe McKendrick, writing for Forbes, has pointed out, “without cloud, there would be no IoT, just a bunch of Things.”

Less obstacles for businesses seeking to enter the cloud

Many enterprise organisations have doubtless been eager to shift services to the cloud, but barred from doing so by demanding compliance requirements or regulations. However, we can expect to see this situation changing in 2016. Governments are becoming more open to the unique benefits of cloud computing, which naturally means that we can also expect them to lower particular hurdles to corporate use of cloud computing.

Security concerns will continue to be at the forefront

Many businesses have understandably entered the cloud with a large degree of caution, having long decided to spare sensitive data from the cloud due to what they might have considered the uncertain security implications of using it.

However, as many enterprises grow to notice more of the security benefits of cloud computing, they are likely to transition further amounts of mission-critical data to the platform. Our cloud experts can also help to put many security concerns at rest.

The post Cloud computing predictions for this New Year appeared first on The Startup Magazine.

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Funding a business startup is the first big challenge or any entrepreneur. You have to consider how you’re going to secure initial funding to get your idea off the ground. Thankfully, there are more options than ever before for business startups. These options will help you to make your dreams a reality.

Family and Friends Funding 

It makes sense to start at home first. Your family and friends are the first port of call for some interest-free funding. Some people may disagree with borrowing money from those closest to them, but it really depends on your relationship with them. Just make sure that any terms and conditions for repayment are laid out in paper form so there are no disputes later. Even when borrowing from those closest to you, you should still treat the agreement as professionally as ever.

Get a Business Loan 

There are multiple avenues for claiming a business loan. The first and easiest option is your local bank. You will be expected to produce a business plan and a forecast. Only if the bank is happy with your plan will they authorize your loan. Your personal credit history may also come into play, but this differs between the banks.

If your bank is uncooperative, it may be worth seeing if there are any initiatives in your local area. This is where the local government offers grants and loans to startup companies in the area as long as they fulfill certain conditions. For example, sometimes a local government will provide business funding to a business if they employ one or two local people. This article on how to get a business loan is a good starting point to learn about what you need.

Crowdfunding 

Sites like crowdfunding have provided businesses with the opportunity to receive money from donors in exchange for various perks, such as a free product sample or a poster or access to regular updates on what the company is doing. This isn’t an easy option, even if it means you can make thousands of dollars before your company opens its doors.

You have to pitch your idea (usually through a video) and promote your crowdfunding campaign. If you don’t get the amount of money you asked for, you get nothing. The vast majority of crowdfunding attempts fail. Less sexy businesses aren’t likely to see this as an option.

If you do want to try out crowdfunding, here are some tips for making it work:

• Always produce a video. This is what gets you seen. Projects without a video rarely, if ever, get the funding they need.
• Be transparent. People will see right through you if you attempt to lie about something or conceal the truth.
• Make it marketable. This works just like marketing to a specific audience. You have to create a marketing plan and figure out who your target audience is.

Angel Investing

 Angel investing is where you can take out what are essentially lots of different loans with lots of different people. The online platform is designed to make accepting lots of different loans and investments easy. They are secure platforms that hold the money until it’s authorized to be released.

The business still has legal obligations as if the loans were taken directly from a bank. The difference here is that the angel investors don’t just give the business money they become part owners of that business. That means they are also entitled to dividends paid at a later date. Angel investing is slightly more successful than conventional crowdfunding, but it still requires a solid marketing pitch to make it work.

Last Word

 These four ways to gain funding for your business startup should give you a solid foundation to begin seeking investment. How will you get funding for your business today?

The post Options for Funding Business Startups appeared first on The Startup Magazine.

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3 Tools to Create Engaging Campaigns

The age of instant means that business owners and marketers have the upper hand when it comes to creating and adapting marketing campaigns. We have all had the age old ‘content is king’ mantra drilled into us, but are we looking in the right places when it comes to the tools that allow us to create the content that will reign supreme? Don’t get me wrong, I love web analytics, while they are giving us insight into our web traffic on a real time basis, I just don’t think that they are providing us with the full picture. Shockingly, 11% of businesses don’t even analyse their website traffic, which begs the question, do we really value the art of content marketing and if your answer is ‘yes’, are you using it to its full potential?

Audience Insights

Social media have pushed a large stack of poker chips right across the table – in the form of audience insights, and boy are they valuable. While Google is good, they just don’t hold the nitty gritty details that the likes of Facebook and Twitter can now provide. Demographics such as location, marital status, gender, job title and income enable you to tailor your campaign somewhat, but drilling down even further to behaviour such as pages your audience are liking, brand affinity and purchasing activity and use this information to create campaigns that correlate to this behaviour. Facebook also receives data from 3^rd party partners; for example in the US they bought data from credit and store cards and banks, mapping it against user’s profiles. Ultimately this enabled business to extract the data for marketing use, or even in creating new offerings based on their findings.

Darren Sharples from Cloudstix offers his experience of the impact social media has had, “Social Media platforms have certainly helped Cloudstix see exactly what our customers and target audience think of our products and to better them. By being able to instantly see reviews both positive and negative of various products and manufacturers it has helped us to not only provide the products that people want and love but also avoid the ones that have been slated by the consumer. We heavily monitor social media and vaping forums to ensure we are at the forefront of this information “

Past Purchase Data

Purchase history data is invaluable to your business, and analysing it will allow to identify the way that the buying process takes place amongst your customers and mapping these processes against the information extracted from audience insights tools and web analytics will give you a comprehensive 360 view of your customer. The area to understand initially is why your customers buy, based on where your product fits according to where they sit in Maslow’s Hierachy of needs.

Using web analytic tools to track the customer journey across the site until their purchase is one way; but look at companies such as Boots, Tesco and Sephora. They are renowned for leveraging their past purchase data using customer loyalty schemes and using it to target their customers with offers targeted towards the products that they buy in a cross channel format – maximising the chances that they will use the offer and extra sales will be made.

“In the past we have used data of past purchases for improved performance of different marketing channels. For example, we have analysed the customer lifetime value and by finding the customers that have spent more money in our site, we have run Facebook campaigns targeted to them. The main goal was rewarding these users for their loyalty to the brand.” Says Inigo Antolin, Head of Marketing at Appleyard Flowers . “Another channel were we have used past purchase data is Google Adwords. Thanks to Google Analytics, you can increase your bids to customers that have bought a product from your site in the last 540 days. At a more general level, Google Analytics allows you to see where your past customers are coming from -location- and also gives valuable information in gender and age. Fully understanding this data gives opportunities to any online company to further develop its business.”

Call tracking

Call tracking will be the final piece of the jigsaw when it comes to your targeted campaigns. If you are using e-commerce on your website, great – you can map the customer journey from email to transaction and all the details in between.

However, if your business is service based and you don’t have an e-commerce solution then call tracking will allow you to identify the content and campaigns that are causing your customers to pick up the phone and begin their journey with you. Even in this digital age, 43% of all search-related conversions happen over the phone, according to AdInsight, so if you knew the campaign or page on your site that was causing a physical action, you would amplify the content that was used, right?

Looking beyond the customers you already have in your sights, using call tracking within paid search campaigns means that you can view the keywords and ads that are the drivers, leading to more educated decision being made.

The key to using large, complex data sets is to remain focused on the actionable insight that you want to gain – spending too much time analysing it mean that you are too far in to look at the data with an overall objective view.

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Minimum Viable Product (MVP), a term made popular by author of the Lean Startup, Eric Ries, is the starting product from which a company can make decisions about how they move forwards.  The product should allow you to gage customer reaction and validate assumptions you have made about your users. Experts in MVP development, Portboost have shared with the Startup Magazine, their MVP development process and how to get the most out of your MVP.

Before developing your product

Before developing your MVP, it is essential that you find out what the market size and market share would be for your company. These numbers will tell you if developing this company is worth pursuing.

As a starting point for your product, it is important to reach out to as many people in your intended demographic and find out if your service/product is something they would find beneficial. There are many sites that make this process very simple, including [Launchpad Central].

Developing your product with Portboost

Step 1: The Portboost team takes clients through a methodical procedure that begins in collating the specifications of the project as well as any illustrations that are helpful to their team. These might include things such as rough user flow diagrams and images.

Step 2: The team takes a look at the specifications and provides an estimate to how many hours it will take to complete the project. If they need more information to create a more concrete estimate, they will ask the client to verify.

Step 3: Once the client agrees with the final quote, a one-page contract and if needed, an NDA will be signed. Work on the project will then commence. Bigger projects are broken down into stages, with clients paying once a certain stage is completed.

Excellent customer service is at the forefront of their work and the project leaders are always available with updates if needed after your project is complete. Their goal is for your startup to be in the best position to win.

For further details on Portboost or to get a quote for your startup click here.

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After the success of the first programme, IncuBus are ready to take on the next group of market changing retail startups! The programme which is run at the world famous, Camden Market, starts again on May 16th 2016. Applications are now open and run until April 10th.

The mentors & partners from Class 1 will be back as well as a few new names to be released soon. Some of the mentors already on board come from the likes of Google, eBay, Amazon, Deliveroo, Burberry and Nix&Kix.

Successful applicants get access to mentoring and skills based workshops from senior retail executives & some of the UK’s most successful startups in the retail space. The programme focus is ensuring startups find their product market fit and accelerate the businesses growth over the 12-week programme, ready to raise investment. The programme ends with a demo week where startups will have the opportunity to pitch to relevant groups of investors & partners.

“Retail is a rapidly adopting new technologies to offer consumers a better experience and stay ahead of the competition. We have seen applications as varied as VR, wearable tech and IoT based solutions to distribution, purchasing and logistics. We have been delighted by the quality of startups applying and this is testament to the focus on bringing in the best mentors with experience in the space as well as partnering with world class brands to ensure the startups have the best path to accelerated growth.” Says co-founder Rishi Chowdhury

Alumni from IncuBus Retail Class 1, which graduated in December, have already seen some great progress. Nari Juice are now stocked in Selfridges, Food Foundry are confirming their first kitchen while Clipcrowd and Market Munch are closing their funding rounds.

Retail has been predicted to see the next big tech disruption due to the amount of support, resource and opportunity on the doorstep of London.

Stephen Millard, founder of Eccomplished and lead of the TLA RetailTech working group has previously said: “London is already the retail technology capital of the world. Nowhere else has such consolidation of expertise, knowledge and accelerators all focused on driving growth in this sector. There is no doubt future world-beating retail technology companies are already operating in the city today.”

To ensure the next generation of world beating retail technologies emerge, the IncuBus Retail programmes main focus is on helping startups find their product / market fit. This is crucial in helping startups increase their value to customers, grow revenue and reduce burn rate. Ultimately this leads to getting to profitability earlier and helps in raising funding.

The importance of knowing your customers’ needs cannot be underestimated. Marc Andreesen, internet entrepreneur and now one of the most successful VC’s in the world gets straight to the point, “in a terrible market, you can have the best product in the world and an absolutely killer team, and it doesn’t matter — you’re going to fail,” he says.

The programme will be run from the brand new co working space Interchange Triangle where startups will have access to 24/7 hot-desking and be surrounded by a thriving community of startups and networking opportunities.

IncuBus Retail Class 2 applicants will be picked for the programme on a rolling basis, so apply early to increase your chance of being accepted onto our Retail Incubator Programme!

Startups can learn more and apply here: http://ift.tt/23NvLxc 

IncuBus Ventures was founded in 2013 by Rishi Chowdhury & George Johnston after the pair decided to look at ways of helping very early stage startups grow their business and connect with the wider startup communities.

IncuBus Ventures run early stage startup incubators to help startups find product/market fit, gain traction and raise investment whilst closing the gap between startups and corporates, maximising the benefits the two worlds can gain from each other

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An increasing number of people in the workforce are turning towards entrepreneurship and freelancing to find satisfaction and excitement in their professional lives and leaving the traditional corporate cubicle 9-5 environment behind. As a result, these business owners, startup companies and entrepreneurs are searching for an equally satisfying option for their workplace. Over the past few years there has been an increase in demand for offices that are flexible, inspiring and can provide a collaborative community.

New York City has long been the hub for corporate America and has seen the rise in the number of co-working spaces.  For those still eager to get out of the stifling concrete madness that is New York City, Bridgeworks is proving to be the best suitor. Bridgeworks, located in Long Beach NY, recently ranked as one of the top places to open a business in New York State, a vibrant thriving beach community just outside NYC. Apart from the state-of-the-art facility and the community fostering inside their walls the surrounding community outside their walls is just as beautiful. Taking a break to collect your thoughts is something entirely different at Bridgeworks. Just a short walk to miles of white sand beach, 2.3 miles of boardwalk, endless bars, pubs and restaurants to unwind brings “getting out of the office” a whole new meaning.  All conveniently located just 50 minutes on the Long Island Railroad from NYC and Brooklyn.

Bridgeworks 8,000 sq. ft. state of the art, all-inclusive facility appeals to millennial freelancers and pioneering early stage startups with monthly membership prices as low as $45. One of the most attractive features of Bridgeworks is the ability to utilise their space to fit your needs.  Members can choose to take advantage of shared flexible co-working space, lounge style or a relaxed collaborative environment where members can come in and find their favourite nook to hunker down.  Members looking to really dig in and call Bridgeworks a home have the option of choosing a Private Office (which is chosen, not assigned) they feel most comfortable in.  Conference Rooms are easy to reserve through the Bridgeworks website or mobile app. The atmosphere, location and workspace flexibility is what makes Bridgeworks an excellent environment for a team or individual with changing business needs.

Bridgeworks offers a host of benefits along with their membership; high-speed internet access, VoIP phone service (and private phone booths for those super secret business discussions), bike share/rentals and mail services. They have incorporated a place to socialise, with a full-kitchen complete with coffee, light snacks and cold beer (brewed locally), entertainment areas and a space for your surfboard. The Bridgeworks Community is at the forefront, committed to hosting monthly networking and social events that will help foster new connections between members and creativity within the space.

For those of you based in the greater New York area and looking for an opportunity to be part of a growing and innovative community outside of the congested NYC scene, Bridgeworks has reinvented co-working space in a thriving suburban beach community. Bridgeworks plans to officially open its doors to the public in the coming weeks and space will be limited to accommodate members. The best way to get a glimpse of Bridgeworks and to reserve your space would be to schedule a walk-through.  Book a Tour at http://ift.tt/20wtVS0 and choose a date and time that would best suit you.

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Innovation consultant and tech investor LMarks and global investment management company, Winton have teamed up to create Winton Labs, an accelerator for data driven startups. Winton recognises, as Owen McCormack, Director at Winton said, that “the challenge with having a great idea for many entrepreneurs is taking it from concept to product or from an initial product to a thriving and scalable business.”

The Winton Labs program is one of the answers to this issue and an excellent opportunity for ten startups to immerse themselves in a program tailored to helping them accelerate their success.

How will it work?

During the ten week program, the ten startups will receive expert guidance in the form of seminars and mentoring in key areas of business including: law, operations, accounting and marketing. The startups will be housed in a space, in a great central London location.

At the end of the program, the teams will present their business with a chance to gain investment from and partner with Winton.

Winton, however, will not be taking any equity from the companies that are part of their program.  

What you need to do to be part of it?

Winton Labs has particular interest companies innovating in the Client Relationship Management (CRM), Data Management and Visualisation and Compliance and Governance. They also have a ‘wildcard’ category open to a startup that doesn’t fit into the aforementioned categories but is dedicated to innovation in the data space.

Applications are open to startups at all stages, from the 28th January 2016 until February 21st 2016, for a chance to pitch their ideas on 22nd March 2016.

From the submissions, Winton will select the businesses they align with and that can be part of their entrepreneurial culture.

On the 25th of March, those accepted to the Winton Labs program will be announced!

Are you ready to give your startup a competitive advantage? Apply to the Winton Labs program now!

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A growing desire for air travel, and a booming industry has driven an increase of connecting airports across the globe, referred to as “megahubs,” according to travel analytics service OAG. These connecting airports facilitate thousands of connections daily according to OAG Megahubs Index 2015. They are changing the way that many today travel, providing new routes with cheaper flights, opening the door to travel for many worldwide.

OAG findings report London’s Heathrow Airport as Europe’s biggest “megahub,” due to the high number of potential scheduled connections per destination. Barcelona, on the other hand, is reported to be the best cost-cutting stop-off for flyers looking for a more economic route.

These “megahubs” are intent on finding new, creative ways to boost in-transit revenues. From in-airport yoga, to IMAX movie theaters, and even golf courses, these initiatives aim to build to higher engagement of customers. But are they missing a trick in the multitude of possibilities, sitting on their very doorstep?

Paris-based startup TripAside has come up with an alternative through creating customized city tours in top European destinations, for memorable experiences with minimal passenger effort.

Emmanuel Rozenblum, founder and CEO of TripAside explains how his online service enables passengers to experience the highlights of top European destinations – from London to Madrid – transforming the layover wait through the “trip within a trip.”

What are the biggest consumer trends in the air travel industry that have laid the way for your business offering?

As consumers continue to search for low cost air travel we have seen a rise in platforms such as Clever Layover. Using sites like this people are making big savings. They are willing to make sacrifices in convenience, such as undergoing longer layover waits, in order to achieve this. As a result, many travelers spend long stretches in airports waiting for their next flight. This may be good for the wallet, but it is frequently endured at the expense of our time and airport experience. Many travelers feel bored during layovers, watching the clock until their connecting departure. This can result in a negative travel experience, with vacation hours lost in favor of pennies saved.

What is TripAside and how does it attempt to solve this problem?

TripAside helps to solve the problem of layover boredom and the wasted time often experienced by those opting for cheap flights with longer connection times. We offer city tours in top European destinations – letting travelers experience the best parts of a city, as opposed to being trapped in the airport. We currently offer tours in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Rome, Madrid – with Dubai and Lisbon coming soon. The TripAside service delivers passengers a fun city experience, allowing them a trip within a trip.

Can you describe a typical TripAside experience?

It all starts with a request: we get the name of the traveler, the day of the layover, the flight numbers, along with detail regarding their personal travel preferences. Using this we are then able to organize a customized layover tour. The driver waits for the client at the terminal ready to pick them up as soon as they arrive. Customers are then transported into the city in a private car, where they will experience the first glimpses of their chosen destination. After a 45 minute drive, the client is brought to the tour starting point where they meet the tour guide. They are then taken to major landmarks, historical buildings, hidden streets, and other special locations that give them a feel for the local atmosphere.

In Paris flyers are invited to stop-off for a hot croissant, or glass of vin rouge, they can visit the iconic Eiffel Tower, and wander the banks of the Seine river. In London, travelers can hit the streets by foot, witness the Changing of the Guards outside Buckingham Palace and soak up the prestige of high-end Mayfair. For those looking to escape the city they can instead opt for a taste of the British countryside and see for themselves the grandeur of Windsor Castle. At the end of the trip passengers are taken back to the airport in good time for a quick duty-free browse before continuing their onwards trip – with no fear of missing flights, and no clock-watching.

With our service, we like to say that ‘we do the worrying while the client does the wandering’. We provide the client with all the information they need about visas, flight times, and their TripAside itinerary. We also store the client’s luggage and monitor the traffic to ensure that they don’t miss their flight. We’re proud to say that some of our customers have told us that their layover with us was the best part of their trip!

How do you go about selecting the best parts of a city to include in a very short period?

For each tour we create, we have two priorities: check the iconic landmarks, for instance, the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Big Ben in London, and ensure a local experience. This could involve stopping off for tapas in Madrid or exploring London’s Covent Garden. We don’t try to get our customers to do everything, but rather we aim to make the traveler feel like a local for a few hours. Each one of our tours is created jointly by the layover expert from our Paris-based team and a local guide in the city. Together, they spend time testing to see what is doable without stress in 6, 8 and 10 hour periods, in order to create the optimal layover experience.

We have built a number of different itineraries for each city, keeping all of this in mind, and we make sure that the places we propose are easily reachable from the airport. We also update the tour throughout the year to include seasonal attractions, such as Christmas markets and winter ice-skating.

How did your own personal experiences lead to the creation of TripAside?

The idea for TripAside came to me after I experienced a long layover in Warsaw between flights from Paris to Tel Aviv. I really wanted to go out and experience a place I had never before seen, but I couldn’t bear the thought of missing my flight. I decided to head out of the airport and explore the city – but I couldn’t let go of the nagging fear that I would miss my connection. In fact, I barely made it back in time to get through immigration in time to board my next flight.

This gave me the idea, what was needed was a service that took care of this hassle whilst also providing the best inside knowledge for a great short-stay tour. In April 2015 I launched TripAside in Paris and today we are expanding quickly, adding more and more top city tours in great locations.

How does TripAside compare with the current alternatives being developed today?

Most travelers today still opt to stay in the airport. Airports know this, and many have been creative in the features they now provide encouraging people to stay indoors. Some of them even include jungles, swimming pools, museums, and golf courses. We still think it’s better to be a little more adventurous and get out though!

Sight-seeing tours from open bus-tops are prominent in all main cities today- however they do not support this with the travel organization that TripAside does. TripAside not only arranges all transport, visas, and time frames, but the service also provides close-up experiences that allow visitors to feel a unique experience, with the expert knowledge from local guides. Witness the amazing ruins of Rome, or literally watch time pass by on the banks of the Thames at the world famous Big Ben in London. To us, there is no comparison.

What is your plan for the future development of TripAside?

Our current plan is to launch a mobile application allowing people to experience and access our service via multiple platforms. We are also building a DIY layover tour, where users can customize their own tours for a lower-cost and still benefit from our great insider knowledge of the city, and top tips.
In the next two years we also aim to expand internationally – to provide city experiences in the biggest international airports with larger passenger traffic every day. We will launch Lisbon and Dubai city tours very soon, and also expect to add many more further afield this year, watch this space!

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