Saturday, December 12, 2015

TWO 1871 MEMBERS ATTEND GOOGLE EXCHANGE TRAVEL SUMMIT IN DUBAI

TWO 1871 MEMBERS ATTEND GOOGLE EXCHANGE TRAVEL SUMMIT IN DUBAI

Georama and TraknProtect Both Selected From Dozens of Applicants; Innovative Program Brings Together 12 Leading Travel Businesses From Around the World



CHICAGO (DECEMBER ##, 2015) – Two 1871 companies were selected from a pool of global applicants to attend the first ever Google Exchange Travel Summit in Dubai. Georama and TraknProtect both traveled to Dubai for a week’s worth of high-level learning, corporate introductions, networking and strategic thinking about the growth of their businesses. 

“At 1871 we are deeply committed to finding new and exciting opportunities that will help our members grow, scale, and monetize their businesses,” said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. “This sort of program is exactly the type of opportunity that we are constantly looking for on behalf of our membership, and we are proud that two of our companies have been selected. We look forward to hearing about the results of their trip and watching the growth of their businesses.”

The Google for Entrepreneurs network is a global network of technology hubs, of which 1871 is a member. The Google Exchange program is a new program designed to bring together leading technology companies from around the world under specific vertical areas, including travel (Dubai), gaming (Seoul), fashion (London), and scaling (San Francisco). More Google Exchange programs are expected to be launched in the coming months. 

“We are really excited to be part of this program,” said Parminder Batra, founder and CEO of TraknProtect. “The program gives us an opportunity to meet other travel startups from around the world, allows us to meet key individuals from the hospitality industry, and provides us with ideas and insights into opportunities in Dubai.” Batra is also a member of the inaugural WiSTEM cohort at 1871.

“We are thrilled for Georama to be recognized for this honor,” said Nihal Advani, founder and CEO of Georama. “It is critical for us to expose as many people around the world as possible to our technology, so opportunities like this are really important. I’m grateful to 1871 and Google for all of their efforts on behalf of startups.”

The companies from 1871 were chosen out of dozens worldwide who applied for the program. They traveled to Dubai on December 5 for a week of programming and events. 

About TraknProtect
TraknProtect is a tracking and analytics platform for the hospitality industry. In the age of on-demand economy, TraknProtect helps hotels deliver the gold standard of service to their guests while increasing employee efficiency by allowing hotels to know the real time location of guest requested items (such as cribs, rollaway beds, etc.). TraknProtect also provides analytics and insights to allow hotels to lower inventory costs through better understanding of how such items are used and how often. TraknProtect recently completed a pilot at one of the largest convention hotels in Chicago and was able to increase employee efficiency by 91% in delivering guest-requested items. The company was also recently profiled through Skift as one of the top 5 startups helping make general managers lives easier (http://bit.ly/1iONi5e). www.traknprotect.com

About Georama
Georama is the world’s first real-time virtual travel platform. Through live, interactive guided tours, people can now go wherever they want to go despite logistical, financial, or physical challenges. Georama's patent-pending platform enables individuals and organizations to broadcast live, mobile, HD video tours from a smartphone or wearable camera to viewers around the world. Viewers can interact in real-time, empowering them have a highly personal experience. Georama is currently focused on creating authentic experiences in the travel and education spaces. Now through Georama, a student states or oceans away can visit any campus they choose and people of all backgrounds can travel wherever they like virtually. For more information, please visit: www.georama.com

About 1871

1871 is the home of more than 325 early-stage, high-growth digital startups. Located in The Merchandise Mart, this 75,000 square foot facility is also the headquarters of nationally recognized accelerators, Techstars Chicago and Impact Engine; half a dozen industry-specific incubators in key areas such as real estate, education technology, food and financial technology; several emerging tech talent schools (Flatiron, The Fullbridge Program, Designation and the Startup Institute), and the state's leading technology advocate, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition. It is the second home to Chicago-based VCs, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, MATH Venture Partners, Hyde Park Angels, OCA Ventures, OurCrowd and Chicago Ventures, as well as satellite offices for Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and DeVry. 1871 has fast become recognized as the hub for the city’s entrepreneurial/technology ecosystem and has been featured in Inc. Magazine, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Crain’s Chicago Business among other top media. 1871 is the flagship project of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.