Phocuswright announces shortlist for its annual competition - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Now in its fifth year, the competition is jointly produced by WiT, Phocuswright and PhocusWire and seeks to unearth the brightest stars in early-stage travel tech.

The Global Startup Pitch competition is supported by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), a Phocuswright Strategic Partner of Innovation.

Finalists will compete in-person on at Phocuswright Europe on June 16, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.

A panel of external judges selected these startups from a global pool of applicants, surfacing the best early-stage travel companies across four regions of the world.

The 17 finalists reflect where travel innovation is most needed and, increasingly, where it’s arriving. Travel sits at the intersection of logistics, finance, hospitality and human experience, demanding that startups navigate layered complexity that few other industries can match. The companies selected this year reflect that reality: practical, globally minded and built to operate in conditions where the margin for error is low and the stakes for travelers are high.

“The caliber of applicants this year reflects how much the global startup ecosystem has matured,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT. “Our judges have done remarkable work identifying companies that aren’t just solving today’s problems but anticipating tomorrow’s. We’re proud to bring this group to Barcelona, where they’ll showcase their innovations in front of a savvy audience of travel executives. It’s a highlight of the program that attendees anticipate each year.”

As in previous years, a Wildcards category was created by Phocuswright, WiT and PhocusWire to surface ideas that are particularly global, future-oriented, hard to solve and address next-generation challenges.

Companies compete in two categories:

Seedup: Under three years old and have raised no more than US$5 million 
Scaleup: Three to eight years old and have raised no more than US$10 million

Seedups will compete against Seedups and Scaleups against Scaleups within each region. Winners from each region will be chosen at Phocuswright Europe and will travel to Singapore for showcase presentations at WiT Singapore.

The audience at WiT Singapore will vote on their favorite Seedup and Scaleup. The People’s Choice winners will then be showcased at The Phocuswright Conference, Nov. 17-19, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Here are the finalists:

North America

• Seedups: 
Abra Hospitality 
BizTrip.AI
• Scaleups: 
Crewfare 
Kquika

Europe

• Seedups:
Lobby 
EchoWi
• Scaleups:
Hands In 
1-CP

Asia Pacific

• Seedups only: 
SPUN 
SocialSeal

Emerging Markets

• Seedups: 
BookAfrica 
DecisionRM Solutions
• Scaleups:
BaggageTAXI 
Vibe Adventures

Wildcards

• Hotel Direct (OneJourney) 
Roame Campy

Winners from the APAC region will receive a return flight from anywhere in Asia to Singapore, courtesy of AirAsia MOVE, to attend and showcase at WiT Singapore.

The Global Startup Pitch competition is part of an ongoing commitment by Phocuswright, WiT and PhocusWire to cultivate innovation through a platform of events and programs including WiT Bootcamps, Phocuswright’s Startup Program, PhocusWire’s Hot 25 Travel Startups and Phocuswright’s Launch pitch competition.

Pete Comeau, managing director, Phocuswright, said, “Five years in, this competition continues to surprise us. The geographic spread of applicants keeps widening and the quality keeps rising, with a record number of applicants this year. What excites us most is seeing strong entries from markets that weren’t represented at all when we started. Surfacing these companies and giving them a platform is core to what Phocuswright does — and so is connecting the investors who are shaping travel’s future with the innovators who are building it.”

Picture Credit: © Phocuswright