MIST
STARTUP
PROGRAM
Designed for innovation-driven social enterprise and technology startups in tourism
Open to early-stage startups in Cambodia, PR China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, or Viet Nam.
Successful applicants will be invited to the MIST bootcamp and pitch to investors and industry experts.
Nominate yourself or others for the MIST 2020 startup program today!
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
Attend an intensive bootcamp to learn startup fundamentals and meet MIST’s corps of mentors.
Access the Mekong region’s tourism and travel tech startup ecosystem, including investors, mentors, incubators, government officials, and other startups.
Compete to get partnered with an expert mentor.
Compete to win in-kind support to help you propel your business.
WHAT’S IN IT
FOR ME?
Attend an intensive bootcamp to learn startup fundamentals and meet MIST’s corps of mentors.
Access the Mekong region’s tourism and travel tech startup ecosystem, including investors, mentors, incubators, government officials, and other startups.
Compete to get partnered with an expert mentor.
Compete to win in-kind support to help you propel your business.
AM I ELIGIBLE?
We are seeking the most innovative, inspiring, and scaleable tourism and travel tech companies for the MIST Startup Program. If you can answer YES to the following questions, we invite you to apply.
Are you based in Cambodia, PR China (Yunnan & Guangxi), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, or Viet Nam?
Is at least one co-founder in your company from one of the countries mentioned above?
Does your company have an innovative solution for travel, hospitality, tourism, or travel tech?
Is your company at least at the MVP (minimum viable product) development stage, and have you made your first sale?
Is your company scalable, and does your business plan demonstrate this?
Does your company contribute meaningfully to gender equality or the sustainability of local communities, cultures, and the natural environment?
WHAT DOES INNOVATION LOOK LIKE?
MIST is especially looking for solutions – both tech and non-tech – in 11 areas. Successful applicants will be able to map their business models to one or more of these:
- Personalization of the travel and hospitality experience.
- Better security for travelers and their transactions.
- Multimodal transportation planning and booking.
- Regional connectivity between destinations in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
- Better payments models throughout the travel value chain (B2C and B2B).
- Facilities, asset, and inventory management for hotels and resorts.
- Reduced environmental impact.
- Enhanced customer experiences in travel and hospitality.
- Automation in hotels and resorts.
- Improved conversions for booking platforms.
- Solutions for overdevelopment and “overtourism.”
Your solution need not be high-tech, but it should be innovative and scalable..
MENTORS
Bart Bellers
Xpdite Capital Partners
Marcos Cadena
Minor Group
Victor Chua
Vynn Capital
Siradej Donavanik
Dusit International
Dr. Ian Fenwick
Schulich School of Business
Hai Ho
Triip.me
Timothy Hughes
Agoda
Chetan Kapoor
Phocuswright
Hamish Keith
EXO Travel
Qianyi Khor
Quest Ventures
Le Tuan Anh
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)
Jakob Lykkegaard
Ask Ava
Dominic Mellor
Asian Development Bank
Pongsak Limpornpipat
Digital Startup Institute, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA)
Pahrada Sapprasert (Mameaw)
500 TukTuks
Steven Schipani
Asian Development Bank
Daksh Sharma
TravHQ
Stephanie Strunk
Amadeus Next
Jens Thraenhart
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
Hien Tu
Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship (WISE)
READY TO INNOVATE TOURISM IN CAMBODIA, PR CHINA (YUNNAN & GUANGXI), LAO PDR, MYANMAR, THAILAND, AND VIET NAM?
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office