The TechCrunch Europas
In the world of technology start-ups this is big news: the Zoombu team has been nominated for a Techcrunch Europas award for ‘Best Start-up Founders’! We are up against some very stiff competition, but we are delighted to have been recognised for our hard efforts so far.
If you can spare literally two seconds and you are a Zoombu fan then please vote for us here!
Voting closes at 11:59pm GMT on Wednesday 1st July so please vote for us ASAP!
Photograph by BeccaG under the Creative Commons license
As the days grow longer, and the weather worsens, British society flocks to its favourite summer pastimes: Glastonbury or Wimbledon; T in the Park or Royal Ascot; V Festival or Cowes Week.
Since Zoombu is independent of bias towards personal activities, we can cater for you all! No, we don’t mean strawberries and mud, but instead we’ll find you the cheapest, fastest or greenest way for you and your family and friends to venture to your event of choice in the UK or anywhere in Europe.
Photograph by exceedcharge under the Creative Commons license
With Zoombu, you’ll also be able to specify your travel prerequisites enabling you to conduct your journey as you wish. Want to get to the Reading Festival without having to travel back early in the morning? Then we’ll Zoombu it for you. Want to get to Henley Royal Regatta without getting a scratch on your Aston Martin? Then we’ll Zoombu that too. Ok, we can’t guarantee that, but we’ll sort out premium parking for you.
So, if you are stuck figuring out whether to drive and park, take the train or choose a flight and a hire car to get to your event, then relax, as this will be the last summer you will need to do this. For next time around Zoombu will be there, ready to tell you your best option, so you can focus on the more important things in life…such as which hat to wear!
Some summer pastime dates for your diary:
- Posted by Geoff
Missing the last flight to Scotland proved eventful...
Some words from Geoff, the part-time alpine climber, who trips off to the mountains any chance he can find…
Being a prepared traveller is something I am not. My history of airport disasters includes missing flights, turning up on the wrong day, going to the wrong airport, losing my passport within the departure lounge, frequently having my name read out over the tannoy for being late, and always, always, getting to check-in with only seconds to spare. Consequently, I need all the travel support I can get. One could argue that I should organise myself better, but nice as this sounds, it simply is not going to happen.
So, how could Zoombu fit into my life of constant excitement and disorganisation? Well, the prospect of having access to a website where I can run a simple search and find alternative travel options on the move is invaluable. These alternatives could be in the form of getting me to where I need to be the fastest way, or helping me to book the trip again (literally last minute) with minimum impact to my bank balance. This service would personally save me tonnes of time/money/stress. I guess it would be a lot like using a sat-nav; when you don’t take the turning the machine is barking at you to take, it adapts and re-plots your route, without any fuss. I could do with the equivalent in my travel life.
I’ve tried out the Zoombu alpha and I’m excited about what’s to come. Now hurry up Zoombu team and get your public service out there, for the sake of me and the other travel disaster prone people relying on you!
- Posted by Geoff
We are delighted to announce that Zoombu has been selected as a winner of the Saïd Business School (SBS) Venture Fund Final 2009. Our business was recommended for investment by the generous benefactors of the fund, Sir Philip Green, one of the UK’s leading retail entrepreneurs, and Mr David Bonderman, founder of the Texas Pacific Group, after a tough selection process culminating in an intense pitch to the benefactors.
The SBS Venture Fund was established in 2007 to finance the best entrepreneurial ideas from the students and alumni of the Saïd Business School and of Oxford University who are also members of Oxford Entrepreneurs. The Fund also aims to promote SBS students’ education in investing in early-stage businesses and is led by a committee of MBA students and University of Oxford advisors. In its first two years the fund has invested a total of £310,000 in four businesses. Sixty three businesses applied to the fund this year from a diverse range of sectors and eight promising business were selected to pitch to the Fund’s committee at a semi-final last Tuesday. Zoombu was chosen as one of four businesses that would go through to the finals the very next day. The other finalists included TropicOil Ltd, Altitude Medical and Antifouling Nets.
The final was a nerve-wrenching affair where each team was allowed just 17 minutes to sell their business to the panel. The pitches took place in front of an audience of distinguished guests including Wafic Saïd (the school’s founding benefactor) and his eminent dinner guests, the Dean of SBS Colin Meyer, the Vice Chancellor of Oxford University Dr John Hood (who moderated the discussions) as well as MBA students and selected associates of the business school. Sir Phillip and Mr Bonderman gave every business a thorough grilling and certainly did not hold back from speaking their minds during the pitches!
After all four businesses pitched the panellists went backstage to agree on their recommendations. They soon emerged to announce that whilst all four businesses showed potential, Zoombu and Altitude Medical were worthy of investment by the Fund this year. On a closing note, Sir Philip extended a rare invitation to Zoombu and two other businesses to meet with him in person next week!
- Posted by Rachel
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