Technology start-up Make it Social has raised a new round of funding – including the backing of industry veteran Steve Endacott – as it seeks to help travel companies win more lucrative group bookings.
The Edinburgh-based firm has secured a total of £215,000, with other investors including a US-based backer and entrepreneurs Rob Dobson and Martin Much.
Founder Eddie Robb (pictured) said version two had just been released, making it easier for travel companies to integrate the tool, while the backing of Endacott could lead to new customers via his own technology company, CWT Digital.
CWT Digital was co-founded by Endacott in 2001, with its clients including the likes of Amadeus and Cruise.co.uk. “There have been some introductions,” Robb told TTG. “There are routes to market, so we’ll see how we can embed our solution into its websites.
There could be some good things to come from that. I’ve met the team and they’re good guys.” Endacott is non-executive director at both CWT Digital and Teletext Holidays, which he joined following the collapse of his company, On Holiday Group, in 2014.
Endacott told TTG: “I’m very interested in the sharing community. Look at the rise of Airbnb. There is also an explosion in the number of festivals, for example. “In travel, the current technology model is not coping with group bookings. The maximum number in a group is often nine.
Make it Social’s tools are great ‘friend-get-friend’ tools. It’s an early seed investment and high risk, but with scope for high return.” Robb said version two of Make it Social would make it easier for agencies and operators to integrate its platform.
Other new functions include “Group Pay”, which allows for pre-authorisation of payments. “We’re giving travel firms a whole new channel,” Robb added. “It’s not letting them grab a slice of the market; it’s building a new layer of the cake.”
To find out more, visit makeitsocial.com/business