Phocuswright announces shortlist for its annual competition ahead of Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona | News
Seventeen travel tech startups have been selected for the final of the Global Startup Pitch 2026. The competition, now in its fifth year and co-hosted by WiT, Phocuswright and PhocusWire, aims to identify the brightest stars in travel tech at an early stage.
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 at Phocuswright Europe on June 16, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.
A panel of external judges selected these startups from a global pool of applicants, highlighting the best early-stage travel companies in four regions of the world.
The 17 finalists reflect where travel innovation is most needed and, increasingly, where it will arrive. Travel sits at the intersection of logistics, finance, hospitality and human experience, requiring startups to navigate a layered complexity that few other industries can match. The companies selected this year reflect that reality: practical, globally focused 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 of WiT. “Our judges have done a remarkable job identifying companies that are not only solving today’s problems, but anticipating those of tomorrow. We are proud to bring this group to Barcelona, where they will present their innovations to a smart audience of travel managers. It is a highlight of the program that participants anticipate every year.”
As in previous years, a Wildcards category was created by Phocuswright, WiT and PhocusWire to surface ideas that are particularly global, forward-looking and difficult to solve and to tackle next-generation challenges.
Companies compete in two categories:
Seedup: Under three years old and no more than $5 million raised
Scale-up: Three to eight years old and no more than $10 million raised
Seedups compete against Seedups and Scaleups against Scaleups within each region. Winners from each region will be chosen during Phocuswright Europe and travel to Singapore for showcase presentations at WiT Singapore.
The WiT Singapore audience will vote for their favorite Seedup and Scaleup. The People’s Choice winners will then be presented at the Phocuswright Conference, November 17-19, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
These are the finalists:
North America
Seedups:
Abra hospitality
BizTrip.AI
Scale ups:
Crew trip
Kquika
Europe
Seedups:
Lobby
EchoWi
Scale ups:
Hands in
1-CP
Asia Pacific
Only Seedups:
SPUN
Social seal
Emerging markets
Seedups:
BookAfrica
DecisionRM Solutions
Scale ups:
LuggageTAXI
Vibe adventures
Wildcards
Hotel Direct (OneJourney)
Roam Campy
Winners from the APAC region will receive a round-trip flight from anywhere in Asia to Singapore, courtesy of AirAsia MOVE, to attend and present 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 of Phocuswright, said: “Five years on, this competition continues to surprise us. The geographic spread of applicants continues to widen and the quality continues to rise, with a record number of applicants this year. What excites us most is seeing strong entries from markets that were not at all represented when we started. Uncovering these companies and providing a platform is at the heart of what Phocuswright does – and that includes connecting the investors who are driving the future of travel shape it with the innovators who do.”
