Was macht eigentlich das Travel Start-up NeedNect Solutions?

Könnt ihr euer Start-up in einem Satz beschreiben?

With our NeedNect platform, hotels can look to the future, because this software solution allows them to tailor their planning precisely to incoming guests and personalize each guest’s stay.

In your opinion, what sets NeedNect Solutions apart and makes you stand out from the competition?

Platform for intelligently connecting guest data with hotels

We think globally and don’t limit our vision. With NeedNect, we’re building the largest platform that connects hotels more closely with their guests. A major advantage: every guest has access to their own data and can edit, update, or delete it at any time—something that isn’t possible with other solutions. We also prioritize user-friendliness, so guests don’t have to download 10 apps but only need one system at every hotel worldwide.

With NeedNect Hotels, we also want to help hotels become more sustainable. The best way to do this is for a hotel to know exactly what its guests want. This reduces oversupply and ensures that resources are used more efficiently.

We have just laid the groundwork for using AI to make day-to-day hotel operations simpler, faster, and more efficient. In the coming years, we will offer hotels something that has gone completely untapped until now: the smart use of hotel and guest data.

Bei welcher Gelegenheit kam die Unternehmensidee?

The idea came partly from our own experience in the hotel and restaurant industry. Fabio and I both have over 15 years of experience in this sector and are familiar with the processes that are standard in every hotel. Yet the vast potential related to the guest experience remains untapped in so many hotels that we decided to found NeedNect Solutions together with Raphael.

On the other hand, the idea also came from our own travel experiences, because it’s always a hassle to have to tell every hotel individually about my allergies or preferences. It’s also become a real nuisance to have to download a separate app for every hotel and every chain. That’s tedious and not user-friendly.

Was war der beste Ratschlag, den ihr fürs Gründen bekommen habt?

Startup life is a roller coaster.

When NeedNect was just an idea, our mentor told us right away that life in a startup is full of ups and downs, just like a roller coaster. That’s why it’s all the more important for the team to always pull together so we can get through the tough times. And that’s exactly what we’ve experienced and learned. There are always highs that we enjoy and celebrate together, but also lows that we get through successfully as a team.

Was war bisher euer größtes Erfolgserlebnis und was die größte Herausforderung?

The NeedNect team: Raphael Duhs, Ines Ganner, and Fabio Wilhelmer (left to right)

We can already look back on many achievements. From our founding, our first customers, our first partners, the grants we secured, the first time we tested our software, all the way to our first public appearances. But the greatest honor to date is that we were named Travel Startup of 2022. It’s a huge and unexpected honor that has truly inspired and motivated the team.

The biggest challenge for us was that the pandemic threw a wrench in our plans and disrupted our entire schedule. We had originally intended to launch our pilot program in 2020, but with sudden lockdowns and all our partner hotels pulling out, it was particularly challenging for us. Although our motivation remained extremely high, we still had serious doubts. Our mentors, our startup incubator in Carinthia, and the team helped us through it. Even though it was difficult, we didn’t give up, and just two years later, we were able to get off to a full start.

Was sind eure Pläne für die nächsten Monate?

From a business perspective: Roll out NeedNect and bring it to the world. We are starting in Slovenia, where we will work with our partner to introduce NeedNect to the market. However, we will establish a strong international presence so that NeedNect is quickly available in many countries.

Working Together Toward a More Sustainable Future in the Hospitality Industry

From a human resources perspective, we will be expanding over the next few months and recruiting talent across a wide range of departments.

From an IT perspective, we are strongly focused on further developing our artificial intelligence to significantly reduce the workload for hotels and guests.

Angenommen ihr bekommt eine Finanzierung in Höhe von 500.000 Euro. Was würdet ihr mit dem Geld machen?

With this money, we would hire more top talent and really ramp up our marketing efforts so that we can grow and scale quickly on an international level.

Where do you see further potential for innovation in the tourism industry?

To be honest, there isn’t a single area of tourism that doesn’t hold further potential for innovation. In my opinion, we are only at the beginning of a comprehensive journey toward digitalization and innovation. The coming years will reveal the enormous potential that actually lies dormant in tourism. And it is particularly important for tourism businesses not to invest blindly, but to do so in a sustainable manner.

Welche Tipps würdet ihr anderen Gründern mit auf den Weg geben?

Building a well-functioning, solid team should be the be-all and end-all for any startup. Especially in the early stages, it’s important to invest more time in bringing the right people on board. No matter what kind of business it is, there will always be times that prove particularly challenging. The stronger the foundation, the more resilient and successful you’ll be in the long run!