Global name in travel tech Amadeus announced today that it is expanding its venture funding arm Amadeus Ventures to the Asia Pacific region in the first quarter of 2020. Its goal is to back early-stage startups in the region that look to improve the experiences of travelers.
Amadeus said it has supported more than 150 startups since 2014 and developed more than 20 joint projects with its portfolio companies, which include names such as Refundit (Israel), Volantio (US), and Dawex (US).
Suzanna Chiu, head of Amadeus Ventures, said in a press statement that the Asia Pacific is a “ripe market” for startups and Amadeus is searching for business ideas and models that can be scaled across borders.
“Startups struggle to gain competitive advantage against large enterprises and if they do, most of the time they don’t know how to navigate the landscape. We not only offer funding but also our industry expertise and network to help young start-ups achieve their strategic and commercial goals,” Chiu said.
Stephanie Strunk, Amadeus Ventures’ representative for the region, said with China leading in terms of drawing investments in the travel and mobility space, the rest of the Asia Pacific is catching up on new solutions and ideas to enhance overall traveler experiences.
