For many, navigating an airport is a grating and arduous component of traveling for work, vacations, and holidays. When you think about the typical airport experience, you may think of things like long lines, lost luggage, and other inevitable headaches with frequent flying.
These issues inspired RaidoHub, an Akron-based startup that offers airports a software package that captures and conceptualizes near real-time flight data, historical trends, and operational capacity for accurate flight and traveler activity. This flight information and traveler density insights update frequently throughout each hour to identify and resolve potential issues early, reducing congestion and frustrations for providers and travelers.
The tool proved effective in early tests, thanks to extensive experience from RaidoHub’s co-founders. Still, the team needed some help getting their product in front of potential clients and building up the company’s infrastructure.
“We knew the tool worked, we had the people, and we had the experience already; we just needed help to start the business and build out a company,” said Scott Garchar, one of RaidoHub’s co-founders.
Garchar and the team chose Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron as their base of operations because it is close to most of the team and offers amenities like conference spaces to attract potential clients and investors. Garchar quickly discovered that Bounce also led to invaluable networking and programming opportunities to help the company grow.
The team paired with James Hilton, one of Bounce’s entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIR), specializing in software startups. Hilton supported RaidoHub in creating milestones for the team in its early stages.
“When you’re working with basically no budget, three people, and a concept, having James and Bounce to help get in and streamline that process is critical and priceless.”
In addition to programmatic support, Garchar was also able to network within Bounce’s expansive ecosystem and eventually was introduced to the CEO of the Akron Canton Airport for a meeting as a potential beta tester for the software. Since starting at Bounce, RaidoHub has set up meetings, product demos, and other opportunities with a dozen airports around the United States, including major networks like JFK in New York and PHX in Phoenix.
“The programs here and what James has been able to do for us is phenomenal. Through Bounce, we’ve connected with many entrepreneurs in Cleveland and across the country, which is huge.”