Skyscanner competition encourages entrepreneurs to create a new product

Skyscanner has launched a competition for travel technology entrepreneurs, with prizes of £1,000 and business coaching from the website’s founder on offer.

Skyscanner has launched a competition for travel technology entrepreneurs, with prizes of £1,000 and business coaching from the website’s founder on offer.

“Build with Skyscanner” urges entrants to create a “game-changing new travel tech product” using Skyscanner’s API technology.

Start-ups have until October 1 to build their new website or app, which will be judged by a panel of experts from Skyscanner.

As well as business coaching from founder and chief executive Gareth Williams, the winner will spend a week working with experts in Skyscanner’s head office in Edinburgh, and the cash prize will help kick-start his or her new business.

Williams started Skyscanner with a simple spread sheet back in 2003, and now the search website attracts more than 50 million monthly visitors, with 10 global offices and 770-plus staff.

Skyscanner for Business, the company’s independent B2B unit, offers three stand-alone APIs: flights, hotels and car hire.

Skyscanner has already partnered with several start-ups including LuckyTrip, which powers its flight search using Skyscanner’s Browse API and was named as ones of iTunes ‘Top Apps for 2015’.

US-based app Hitlist powers its price alerts via the Skyscanner API, and has had 400,000 downloads.

Williams said: “We are delighted to invite start-ups and developers to take part in this competition, which we hope will inspire young programmers and businesses to build something truly cutting-edge and bring something fresh to the travel industry.

“I believe there are endless traveller problems still waiting to be solved.

“With the right drive and a great idea there is boundless opportunity for trailblazing new products within the travel space.”