TIDMVELA
RNS Number : 3494M
Vela Technologies PLC
12 October 2016
12 October 2016
Vela Technologies plc
("Vela", the "Company" or the "Group")
Update on investment in Portr Limited - AirPortr launches new
service with British Airways
London-based travel technology start-up launches new service
that allows luggage check in from your front door
The Board of Vela (AIM: VELA), the investing company focused on
early-stage and pre-IPO disruptive technology investments, notes
the recent press coverage on Portr Limited ("Portr"), the
London-based travel tech start-up, which has launched a new service
that allows check-in from your front door. Vela has an interest in
101,989 shares in Portr, equivalent to 3.9 per cent. of Portr's
issued share capital.
Excerpts from Portr's press release are copied below:
"Portr, the London based travel technology start-up has today
launched, in partnership with British Airways a 'game changing' new
service for passengers; allowing travellers to remotely check in
their luggage from any address within Greater London.
From the doorstep of your home, the hotel lobby or your desk in
the City, the AirPortr + Bag Check In service with British Airways
allows the passenger to travel completely bag free until they reach
the destination baggage reclaim.
The launch of the new AirPortr + Bag Check In service has been
funded by the start-up, which raised a GBP6.3 million Series A
Investment round over the last year. Enabling them to expand its
on-demand luggage service, providing even more passengers with the
affordable luxury of luggage freedom. Investors in the recent
funding round included two Venture Capital Trust Funds managed by
leading London fund manager Hargreave Hale, specialist technology
start-up fund Force Over Mass Capital and a number of angel
investors with backgrounds in SaaS, technology and on-demand
services.
AirPortr + Bag Check In is an inventive step change in travel
using smart technology, allowing better connectivity for its
passengers flying out from all London airports - London Heathrow,
London Gatwick and London City to experience the next generation of
seamless travel, and towards the next step in an end-to-end
customer journey. This innovative software enables you to check in
your luggage anywhere in London from your doorstep, hotel, serviced
apartment or office, allowing you avoid rush hour traffic, hotel
check-out luggage conundrums, so you can make the most of your day,
either sightseeing or squeezing in that extra business meeting. It
lets you breeze straight through to the departure gate without the
need to drop off your bags.
AirPortr + Bag Check In can be pre-booked online with passengers
able to select a one hour slot for pick up, giving you a customised
same day service. You will need to check in for your flight with
British Airways before collection, passports and boarding passes
will be verified at the pick-up address. Bags are sealed in a
tamper proof bag, to ensure no one can interfere with your luggage,
and then securely transferred to the airport. From there your
luggage is security screened to aviation standards and checked-in
by AirPortr allowing you to head straight to the departure gate,
skipping queues. Luggage is GPS tracked from the point it is picked
up until they are passed over to British Airways at the airport, so
you can track your bags throughout the process and be reassured
your bags are safely on route to the airport. AirPortr also send
you updates throughout their delivery process to put your mind at
ease and lets you know that it has been checked in. The final step
in the journey is for you to collect your luggage from baggage
reclaim at your final destination.
AirPortr will deliver any size or weight item of luggage to
London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London City Airport with bags
checked in from a London address. Prices start from GBP20 for pick
up from a local airport area for the first bag, GBP30 from central
London for the first bag and outer London and Airport to Airport
for GBP40 for the first bag, with an additional cost of GBP10 per
additional bag. The new service offers an affordable luxury that
benefits smart travellers and can help you reduce travelling costs
and travel times by allowing you to use public transport rather
than be stuck in traffic in a taxi.
Randel Darby, Portr CEO, said: "We are delighted to be launching
AirPortr + Bag Check In with our partner, British Airways. The
service has been years in the planning and is a game changer in
international travel. The industry has introduced mobile check-in,
self-service and tagging, digitised the passport control process
and successfully introduced paper-free boarding utilising smart
phone technology to improve the passenger experience. But you can
still only travel as fast, or in a way that your bags will allow
you to. We expend so much effort and time carrying our bags around
cities, to and from airports and standing in queues because of
them."
Mr Darby continued: "We've have worked closely with British
Airways, our London airport partners and the Civil Aviation
Authority, Department for Transport and Department for Homeland
Security, to make this next generation experience a reality and
prove that a convenient solution works for the consumer and is safe
and secure. We are growing quickly, but reaching our business goals
is only part of the success for us - we are on a mission to change
the way people travel for the better and transform the industry
forever."
For further information on AirPortr + Bag Check In please go to:
www.AirPortr.com.'
Commenting on the news, Antony Laiker, Executive Director of the
Company, said:
'Brent and I believe that this new service from Portr, in
partnering with British Airways, is a game-changing event for the
travel industry and has the potential to change the travel
experience for many as they no longer need to check their luggage
in at the airport. Arriving at the airport security-ready and
heading straight for security will mean travellers should no longer
need to arrive at the airport so early and stand in lengthy
queues.
Randel and his team have done an incredible job getting Portr to
where it is today from its launch just over two years ago. We look
forward to seeing AirPortr gaining further traction by making the
experience of airline travel just a little bit more enjoyable.'
For further information, please contact:
Vela Technologies plc
Brent Fitzpatrick,
Non-Executive Chairman Tel: +44 (0)
Antony Laiker, Director 7802 262 443
Allenby Capital Limited
(Nominated Adviser)
Nick Athanas/Katrina Tel: +44 (0)
Perez/Nick Naylor 20 3328 5656
Smaller Company Capital
Limited
(Broker) Tel: +44 (0)
Rupert Williams/Jeremy 20 3651 2910
Woodgate
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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