The Global Startup Pitch People’s Choice Awards were announced on October 8 during WiT Singapore: The Next 20. The event celebrated innovative startups from around the world, with two companies standing out in the Seedup and Scaleup categories. Replyr.ai won the Seedup award, while PassiveBolt took home the Scaleup prize. These winners had previously been selected at the Grand Finals during Phocuswright Europe in June, where they emerged from a competitive pool of startups representing different regions across the globe.
The Seedup category featured several promising companies, including ImpersonAlly, Kijani Supplies, Levee, and Replyr.ai, all vying for audience support. In the Scaleup category, the contenders were Buzz, Loyalty Status Co., Me Protocol, and PassiveBolt. The People’s Choice Awards were determined by live audience voting, giving attendees direct influence over which startups received this significant industry recognition.
The Winners and Their Vision
Replyr.ai, represented by founder and CEO Dylan Tan, captured the Seedup People’s Choice Award. The company focuses on improving travel chatbots, which Tan described as “broken” in their current form. He noted that these tools often fail to integrate with hotel systems or operate on platforms like WhatsApp. Tan expressed excitement about launching WhatsApp AI agents that can drive bookings and ancillary revenue for properties. The recognition from the WiT and Phocuswright community serves as validation for the company’s approach to solving longstanding communication challenges in the hospitality industry.
PassiveBolt, led by CEO Kabir Maiga, secured the Scaleup People’s Choice Award. The company aims to solve friction in the guest journey by using a person’s verified identity to create seamless hotel access. Maiga stated that the award validates their vision of making digital identity wallets the standard for physical entry. The acknowledgment from industry peers reinforces the company’s mission to transform how travelers interact with accommodation providers throughout their stay.
Related: AI Planning Outpaces DMO Adoption
Community and Industry Recognition
Both winners will now showcase their innovations on a global stage at The Phocuswright Conference in San Diego from November 18-20. This event brings together influential leaders shaping the future of travel. Morris Sim, executive director of Montara Hospitality, praised the innovation presented this year. He specifically noted that PassiveBolt’s vision of combining digital identity wallets with hardware solutions could enable frictionless access to physical spaces. Sim also acknowledged the broader impact of all participating startups, stating that as a hotelier, he could see products helping address challenging issues facing hotels in innovative ways.
Industry experts also recognized the impact of these technologies. Susli Lie, a partner at Monk’s Hill Ventures, agreed that the application for such solutions is endless. Both Morris and Susli served on the panel of “dragons” for this year’s Global Startup Pitch Showcase, providing guidance and evaluation to competing startups. Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder of WiT, explained that the competition was designed to give participating startups opportunities to showcase their businesses to different audiences around the world, from Europe to Asia Pacific to North America, making it the only truly global startup pitch that bridges the world of travel tech startups.
The Global Startup Pitch competition, organized by WiT, Phocuswright and PhocusWire, is in its fourth year. The event supports startups through initiatives like WiT Bootcamps and the Phocuswright Startup Program. The competition brings together some of the most promising early and growth-stage startups in travel and travel technology to compete in four regions—North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East Africa—in two categories, Seedup and Scaleup. It is supported by American Express Global Business Travel, a Phocuswright Strategic Partner of Innovation. Pete Comeau, managing director of Phocuswright, emphasized that startups are the lifeblood of innovation in travel, and the Global Startup Pitch shines a spotlight on the visionaries shaping the future of the industry.
Winning the People’s Choice Award is a significant milestone for Replyr.ai. The company plans to use this recognition to expand its reach and improve its service offerings. For PassiveBolt, the award serves as a mandate that solving the guest journey is a pressing industry challenge. Both teams will have the opportunity to present their solutions to a broader audience, potentially accelerating their growth in the competitive travel technology sector. The recognition positions them alongside other industry-driving initiatives within the Northstar Travel Tech Group, including PhocusWire’s Hot 25 Travel Startups, Launch, and a global network of leaders at the cutting edge of innovation.
