There’s no
doubt the past 20 months have been unusually stressful for anyone operating in
the travel industry. But within the heavy cloud of challenges there have also
been some bright spots – companies that have shown not just perseverance but also momentum
and growth.
It’s even
more noteworthy to see positive traction from early stage startups that have
had to navigate the pandemic without the support systems that are inherent in
established companies.
Singapore-based
Vouch
- one of
PhocusWire's Hot 25 Startups for 2021
- is one of these startups. When the crisis began, the company was just
starting to get some hotels in its local market to use its chatbot-based
solution to enhance the guest experience.
Fortunately
for the company and founder and CEO Joseph Ling, this type of technology was
perfectly suited to serve one of the most pressing pandemic-induced needs for
hotels: the ability to provide a delightful, personalized experience for
guests without having to deal with them face-to-face.
But the
rapid growth of the company in the past 20 months is just one part of the story.
At this
week’s
PhocusWire
Pulse: Startups In The Spotlight
event, Ling explains the challenges
he has faced since launching Vouch – with an entirely different product – in 2016
and twice running out of money.
He shares how he remained motivated during
those difficult years, why he views his lack of prior experience in hospitality
as a strength, how he has built his team and how he is prioritizing his company’s
to-do list on the heels of
$1.1 million in recent funding
.
Watch
the full interview with PhocusWire’s Mitra Sorrells below.
PhocusWire Pulse: Startups In The Spotlight - Startup momentum in a crisis