What exactly does the travel startup 1-CP do?

Könnt ihr euer Start-up in einem Satz beschreiben?

1-CP enables business travelers to shop effortlessly and in compliance with company policies anywhere by quickly integrating our Corporate Checkout—complete with all relevant B2B features—into traditional B2C channels.

In your opinion, what sets 1-CP apart and makes you stand out from the competition?

We are the solution to a widespread but unresolved problem: nearly 50% of all business trips are booked outside of the designated channels. This “maverick buying” leads to a loss of control and frustration on the part of companies. 1-CP solves this problem by intelligently combining travel profiles, reporting, and payment processing. This enables companies to enforce their requirements even on non-optimized channels while simultaneously increasing conversion rates among business travelers. The key benefit: We eliminate tedious follow-up processes such as invoice corrections or expense reports, thereby ensuring a positive travel experience.

When did the idea for the business come about?

The idea for 1-CP came about after I left Acomodeo, a booking platform specializing in corporate clients, where we had already successfully connected with over 40 major corporations. Numerous providers asked me how they could implement direct sales to businesses, but custom solutions were usually too technically complex and operationally expensive for them. That’s why we’re now bundling this expertise into a service that enables anyone to reach business customers cost-effectively and efficiently.

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

Focus on a clear theme. Don’t let yourself be distracted by short-term trends, and build a sustainable business.

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

Our greatest success is the overwhelmingly positive response from suppliers, customers, and investors who share our vision of an “open-booking” world for business travel. The biggest challenge is to quickly gain a foothold in an established market and increase acceptance of our new concept.

Was sind eure Pläne für die nächsten Monate?

We want to successfully onboard our first pilot customers, continue developing our product, and close a pre-seed funding round to accelerate our growth.

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

We would use the funds to expand our team, particularly in sales and marketing, to accelerate our market launch. We would also invest in product development to offer additional features and integrations.

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

We see enormous potential for innovation in the business travel sector, which still has much to learn from the user-friendliness and customer experience of the B2C world. In particular, there is an opportunity to expand the range of products and finally offer business travelers the same options and freedoms they are accustomed to in the leisure travel sector.

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

● Believe in your idea and don’t let yourself get discouraged.
● Surround yourself with a strong team that shares your vision.
● Be flexible and adaptable, because the market is constantly changing.
● Listen to your customers and adapt your product accordingly.
● Never give up, because success rarely comes overnight.