These trailblazing companies, Zetexa, Trawelt, Spark Travel, Travel Intelligence and Acai, will battle it out in a live Dragon’s Den-style panel at the show’s Lovelace Theatre on 26 June at 10:45am at ExCeL London.

The five finalists will compete in a startup panel to discuss their innovative solutions and how they are transforming the travel industry in front of an esteemed panel of judges including:

• Pete Comeau – Managing Director, Amadeus
• Andreas Nau – Partner, Ennea Capital Partners
• Joshua Ryan-Saha – Director, TravelTech for Scotland
• Gerry Samuels – CEO, Travel Capital

The winner will receive:

• A free stand at TravelTech Show 2026  
• A startup ticket to Phocuswright Conference Europe 2026
• A speaking opportunity at TravelTech Show 2026 Startup panel  
• Coverage from Phocuswire 
• PR and marketing support  
• Guidance and mentorship from the Judges  

Zetexa: Redefining global connectivity

Eighteen months since its inception, Zetexa is revolutionising how travellers stay connected across the globe. Their lifetime eSIM solution provides seamless voice and data coverage in over 180 countries, removing the need to juggle multiple SIM cards.

Founder Srujan Yeleti explains, “Connectivity is the most important part of travel, and we've created a truly global eSIM that can be bundled into travel companies’ products as a value-added service.”

He adds, “The Trailblazer Award would give us incredible credibility. We believe this innovation will empower travel companies to drive ancillary revenue and enhance the traveller experience.”

Trawelt: Bringing smart CRM to travel and hospitality

Trawelt is helping travel brands get smarter about data. Their boutique consultancy builds tailored Salesforce CRM solutions alongside two innovations: a data pulse engine and AI agents that personalise offers and automate bookings.

CEO Petar Rimac sees the event as a turning point: “We’re in a growth phase, and the TravelTech Show is a catalyst for validation and new partnerships. Winning Trailblazer would mean so much to the team – it’s validation that we are solving problems that need to be solved for the travel and hospitality industry.”

Spark: All-in-one software for tour Operators and DMCs

Spark is a sales-driven reservation and back-office system, purpose-built for tour operators and DMCs. It simplifies everything from itinerary building and CRM to payments and operations – all integrated with third-party platforms for added power.

“The TravelTech Show is an amazing platform for us to showcase what we believe is the future of travel management software,” says Founder and CEO Simon Wilkinson. “Winning the Trailblazer Award would be such a fantastic opportunity to receive recognition and feedback that further confirms we’re progressing in the right direction.”

Travel Intelligence: Embedded insights that matter

Travel Intelligence delivers actionable insights directly within the travel software platforms people already use. Their embedded dashboards give travel operators actionable insights into bookings, destinations, revenues, currencies and more across platforms they already use every day.

“We’re focusing on partnering with more travel software companies across Europe and beyond,” explains Wieger Houtman, Director of Client Relations. “Winning the Trailblazer would definitely shine a light on the value of embedded BI insights into your data in general, and this will enable us to reach more partners.”

Acai: The AI-Powered Travel Agent

Acai is bringing deep travel industry integration to AI. Their travel-specific agents connect seamlessly with CRMs and GDSs to automate complex tasks – everything from fare rules to supplier comms – freeing up agents to focus on service.

“TravelTech Show is where innovation meets traction,” says Ron Glickman, Head of Sales. “We’re here to scale smart, and this event connects us with the right partners. Winning the Trailblazer award would recognise the real-world impact our tech has had.”

TravelTech Show Event Director Nimet Sayeed adds, “This year’s Trailblazer competition showcases the next generation of travel tech innovation. It’s a privilege to support these remarkable startups and help them accelerate their journeys.”

TravelTech Show takes place 25 - 26 June at ExCeL London and is free for qualified travel buyers. For more information and to register, visit traveltech-show.com/register.