It’s been a number of years since PhocusWire
named its Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups for 2023.
As we get ready to announce our magnificence of 2026, we’re as soon as once more checking in with a few of our standout alumni of Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups from 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.Â
Many have since passed through primary
transformations. Some, like Fora Shuttle, have scaled hastily thru
important investment rounds and strategic acquisitions. Others, reminiscent of
Fetcherr, which has additionally attracted sizeable investment, have bolstered their international footprint and investor backing as
airways race to undertake synthetic intelligence (AI)-driven income gear.
In the meantime, startups like Neoke are
advancing depended on virtual identification answers that might reshape how vacationers
transfer securely throughout borders.
Some responses had been edited for
brevity.
Fetcherr
Focusing on dynamic pricing and
marketplace forecasting, Fetcherr is at the vanguard of AI-driven answers for the
airline business.
Co-founder and CEO Roy Cohen:Â
The finishing touch of the corporate’s 3rd spherical of investment, led by means of
Salesforce Ventures, opening our international places of work in Warsaw, Miami, Chicago and
Tel Aviv and effectively onboarding all of our new purchasers and seeing exceptional effects.
- The most important problem I’m coping with these days
is:
Accommodating the call for and speedy scale-up.
- My view on startup investment:
There’s much less passion in AI language fashions—extra passion in AI that creates true added price to the
industry, and no more passion in carrier answers—extra passion in product/endeavor infrastructure answers.
- The applied sciences or inventions that
excites me essentially the most are:
Inventions that
can create a real, measurable added price. Inventions that end up that
AI-based industry decision-making can considerably beef up the
effects.Â
Fora Shuttle
Fora Shuttle targets to redefine the function of
commute advisors and tool the following technology of commute advisors.
Co-founder, Henley Vazquez:Â Â
2025 has been a landmark yr for Fora. We introduced $60 million in
Sequence B and C investment, led by means of Thrive Capital and Perception Companions, to
boost up our project to modernize the commute business. Our network
surpassed $1.8 billion in bookings and greater than 3 million nights booked by means of advisors in all 50
U.S. states and throughout 92 nations.
In August we introduced the acquisition of
Legends, an award-winning AI startup whose predictive information platform will energy
personalization around the Fora Guide Portal, client-facing stories and
provider gear—a step exchange in how we attach vacationers, advisors and
companions.
Any other milestone used to be launching our accessibility coaching and certification program in partnership with an marketing consultant
from our network, atmosphere a brand new usual for inclusive, barrier-free luxurious
commute. We additionally expanded the world over with commute company licensing in British
Columbia and an company department in Mexico.
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At the product entrance, we’ve persisted
transport significant inventions, from AI-powered itineraries to worth drop—a
characteristic that indicators advisors when a refundable reserving drops by means of greater than 5% or
$50. Each and every new construction is designed to make our advisors extra productive and
Jstomer stories extra seamless.Â
- The most important problem I’m coping with these days is:
Our largest
problem—and biggest alternative—is scaling briefly whilst staying true to
our DNA. As we evolve right into a extra consumer-facing logo, we should achieve this in some way
that empowers our advisors. On the identical time, the tempo of innovation is
accelerating. We’re transport new gear at document velocity, and the problem is
making sure each and every liberate meets our prime requirements of high quality and craftsmanship.
In spite of everything, traveler habits is moving towards shorter reserving home windows and
greater expectancies for comfort. The problem is proving that an marketing consultant,
amplified by means of generation, can ship the most productive of each worlds: believe and velocity,
at scale.
- My view on startup investment:
Startup investment has matured considerably because the 2021-22 cycle.
Nowadays’s traders are extra disciplined, prioritizing sustainability,
potency and top of the range merchandise over a growth-at-all-costs mentality. And
our personal lift this yr underscores that capital is to be had for corporations
developing actual, long-term price.
The commute business is at an inflection
level: It’s a $1.8 trillion marketplace ruled by means of distribution channels that
don’t serve vacationers or providers in particular smartly. Fora is converting
that equation by means of decreasing the limitations for other people to construct commute companies
and by means of making a unmarried, environment friendly distribution channel that delivers
higher-quality purchasers at lower price.
- The applied sciences or inventions that
excite me essentially the most are:
The
convergence of people and generation, particularly thru AI. We see AI as a
power multiplier:
- For advisors, it eliminates the executive burden, enabling
them to serve extra purchasers, marketplace extra successfully and develop their
companies sooner - For vacationers, it delivers the most productive of each worlds—the velocity
of an OTA blended with the believe and experience of a human marketing consultant. - For companions, gear like Legends’ predictive insights are
unlocking smarter, extra environment friendly distribution at scale.
We’re additionally impressed by means of innovation that
extends past AI—reminiscent of accessibility gear that make barrier-free commute a
fact for all, and community-driven platforms that foster unique
connection between advisors and vacationers.
Neoke
Through integrating depended on virtual identification,
Neoke is reworking the commute revel in by means of modernizing identification verification.
Co-founder and CEO Vikas Bhola:Â
International scale and ecosystem development: Completed 10X income development, increasing Neoke’s identification infrastructure throughout airways, airports, governments and generation companions. In combination, we’re development a depended on international ecosystem that powers seamless, privacy-first commute—now making ready for release with a 50 million-passenger airport hub.
Agentic identification in motion: Complex profile brokers and agentic orchestration, enabling personalised, document-free trips. In partnership with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong World Airport, Narita Airport and the World Air Shipping Affiliation, Neoke showcased the sector’s first contactless cross-border commute revel in—from reserving to borders to boarding.
Â
- The most important problem I’m coping with these days
is:
Staying narrowly targeted whilst the
alternative panorama expands. We need to make planned possible choices about the place
to use our efforts so each and every step aligns with our long-term imaginative and prescient. It’s
tempting to chase each and every adjoining use case, however keeping up that self-discipline in
center of attention is one thing we paintings on each day.
- My view on startup investment:
The investment atmosphere as of late requires endurance and readability.
Selections take longer, and traders are in search of authentic conviction and
alignment. The most productive partnerships get started smartly earlier than a investment spherical; that is when
you’ll be able to actually see what each and every spouse brings and whether or not they proportion your imaginative and prescient.
Finally, it’s actually alignment, discovering traders who don’t simply consider in
the imaginative and prescient however are in a position that can assist you navigate the trail to get there.
- The applied sciences or inventions that
excite me essentially the most are:
The ones
enabling agentic commute—the place clever programs collaborate, explanation why and
act on a traveler’s behalf. Quickly each and every adventure—from reserving to frame—will
be guided by means of brokers that perceive your personal tastes, check your identification and
engage securely throughout commute companions. Neoke builds the connective layer
that makes this imaginable, enabling seamless, depended on and in reality attached
commute with out repeated information entries and identification tests.Â
At Neoke, our north famous person is obvious: to make
believe programmable and interoperable throughout ecosystems. We see an international the place
each and every interplay, each and every agent and each and every carrier is attached—the place other people
and clever programs can navigate the virtual global with self belief,
transparency and company.
The PhocusWire Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups for 2026
Keep tuned for the release of PhocusWire’s Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups for 2026 on November 10.
It’s been a number of years since PhocusWire
named its Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups for 2023.
As we get ready to announce our magnificence of 2026, we’re as soon as once more checking in with a few of our standout alumni of Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups from 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.Â
Many have since passed through primary
transformations. Some, like Fora Shuttle, have scaled hastily thru
important investment rounds and strategic acquisitions. Others, reminiscent of
Fetcherr, which has additionally attracted sizeable investment, have bolstered their international footprint and investor backing as
airways race to undertake synthetic intelligence (AI)-driven income gear.
In the meantime, startups like Neoke are
advancing depended on virtual identification answers that might reshape how vacationers
transfer securely throughout borders.
Some responses had been edited for
brevity.
Fetcherr
Focusing on dynamic pricing and
marketplace forecasting, Fetcherr is at the vanguard of AI-driven answers for the
airline business.
Co-founder and CEO Roy Cohen:Â
The finishing touch of the corporate’s 3rd spherical of investment, led by means of
Salesforce Ventures, opening our international places of work in Warsaw, Miami, Chicago and
Tel Aviv and effectively onboarding all of our new purchasers and seeing exceptional effects.
- The most important problem I’m coping with these days
is:
Accommodating the call for and speedy scale-up.
- My view on startup investment:
There’s much less passion in AI language fashions—extra passion in AI that creates true added price to the
industry, and no more passion in carrier answers—extra passion in product/endeavor infrastructure answers.
- The applied sciences or inventions that
excites me essentially the most are:
Inventions that
can create a real, measurable added price. Inventions that end up that
AI-based industry decision-making can considerably beef up the
effects.Â
Fora Shuttle
Fora Shuttle targets to redefine the function of
commute advisors and tool the following technology of commute advisors.
Co-founder, Henley Vazquez:Â Â
2025 has been a landmark yr for Fora. We introduced $60 million in
Sequence B and C investment, led by means of Thrive Capital and Perception Companions, to
boost up our project to modernize the commute business. Our network
surpassed $1.8 billion in bookings and greater than 3 million nights booked by means of advisors in all 50
U.S. states and throughout 92 nations.
In August we introduced the acquisition of
Legends, an award-winning AI startup whose predictive information platform will energy
personalization around the Fora Guide Portal, client-facing stories and
provider gear—a step exchange in how we attach vacationers, advisors and
companions.
Any other milestone used to be launching our accessibility coaching and certification program in partnership with an marketing consultant
from our network, atmosphere a brand new usual for inclusive, barrier-free luxurious
commute. We additionally expanded the world over with commute company licensing in British
Columbia and an company department in Mexico.
Subscribe to our publication under
At the product entrance, we’ve persisted
transport significant inventions, from AI-powered itineraries to worth drop—a
characteristic that indicators advisors when a refundable reserving drops by means of greater than 5% or
$50. Each and every new construction is designed to make our advisors extra productive and
Jstomer stories extra seamless.Â
- The most important problem I’m coping with these days is:
Our largest
problem—and biggest alternative—is scaling briefly whilst staying true to
our DNA. As we evolve right into a extra consumer-facing logo, we should achieve this in some way
that empowers our advisors. On the identical time, the tempo of innovation is
accelerating. We’re transport new gear at document velocity, and the problem is
making sure each and every liberate meets our prime requirements of high quality and craftsmanship.
In spite of everything, traveler habits is moving towards shorter reserving home windows and
greater expectancies for comfort. The problem is proving that an marketing consultant,
amplified by means of generation, can ship the most productive of each worlds: believe and velocity,
at scale.
- My view on startup investment:
Startup investment has matured considerably because the 2021-22 cycle.
Nowadays’s traders are extra disciplined, prioritizing sustainability,
potency and top of the range merchandise over a growth-at-all-costs mentality. And
our personal lift this yr underscores that capital is to be had for corporations
developing actual, long-term price.
The commute business is at an inflection
level: It’s a $1.8 trillion marketplace ruled by means of distribution channels that
don’t serve vacationers or providers in particular smartly. Fora is converting
that equation by means of decreasing the limitations for other people to construct commute companies
and by means of making a unmarried, environment friendly distribution channel that delivers
higher-quality purchasers at lower price.
- The applied sciences or inventions that
excite me essentially the most are:
The
convergence of people and generation, particularly thru AI. We see AI as a
power multiplier:
- For advisors, it eliminates the executive burden, enabling
them to serve extra purchasers, marketplace extra successfully and develop their
companies sooner - For vacationers, it delivers the most productive of each worlds—the velocity
of an OTA blended with the believe and experience of a human marketing consultant. - For companions, gear like Legends’ predictive insights are
unlocking smarter, extra environment friendly distribution at scale.
We’re additionally impressed by means of innovation that
extends past AI—reminiscent of accessibility gear that make barrier-free commute a
fact for all, and community-driven platforms that foster unique
connection between advisors and vacationers.
Neoke
Through integrating depended on virtual identification,
Neoke is reworking the commute revel in by means of modernizing identification verification.
Co-founder and CEO Vikas Bhola:Â
International scale and ecosystem development: Completed 10X income development, increasing Neoke’s identification infrastructure throughout airways, airports, governments and generation companions. In combination, we’re development a depended on international ecosystem that powers seamless, privacy-first commute—now making ready for release with a 50 million-passenger airport hub.
Agentic identification in motion: Complex profile brokers and agentic orchestration, enabling personalised, document-free trips. In partnership with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong World Airport, Narita Airport and the World Air Shipping Affiliation, Neoke showcased the sector’s first contactless cross-border commute revel in—from reserving to borders to boarding.
Â
- The most important problem I’m coping with these days
is:
Staying narrowly targeted whilst the
alternative panorama expands. We need to make planned possible choices about the place
to use our efforts so each and every step aligns with our long-term imaginative and prescient. It’s
tempting to chase each and every adjoining use case, however keeping up that self-discipline in
center of attention is one thing we paintings on each day.
- My view on startup investment:
The investment atmosphere as of late requires endurance and readability.
Selections take longer, and traders are in search of authentic conviction and
alignment. The most productive partnerships get started smartly earlier than a investment spherical; that is when
you’ll be able to actually see what each and every spouse brings and whether or not they proportion your imaginative and prescient.
Finally, it’s actually alignment, discovering traders who don’t simply consider in
the imaginative and prescient however are in a position that can assist you navigate the trail to get there.
- The applied sciences or inventions that
excite me essentially the most are:
The ones
enabling agentic commute—the place clever programs collaborate, explanation why and
act on a traveler’s behalf. Quickly each and every adventure—from reserving to frame—will
be guided by means of brokers that perceive your personal tastes, check your identification and
engage securely throughout commute companions. Neoke builds the connective layer
that makes this imaginable, enabling seamless, depended on and in reality attached
commute with out repeated information entries and identification tests.Â
At Neoke, our north famous person is obvious: to make
believe programmable and interoperable throughout ecosystems. We see an international the place
each and every interplay, each and every agent and each and every carrier is attached—the place other people
and clever programs can navigate the virtual global with self belief,
transparency and company.
The PhocusWire Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups for 2026
Keep tuned for the release of PhocusWire’s Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startups for 2026 on November 10.
