Manchester-based startup Arcube has raised a £1.2m seed round.
Founded by University of Manchester graduates Prithveesh Reddy and Harvey Lowe, Arcube has already caught the attention of industry insiders by winning the Venture Further Awards in the technology category.
The round was co-led by Fuel Ventures & Oxford Capital Partners and notable investors include the former CEO of Pegasus Airlines and the founders of PointsYeah.com.
Arcube’s flagship product, the ‘Passenger Intelligence Platform’, is the world’s first post-flight solution. It uses advanced data analytics to track passenger behaviour and suggest personalised upsells immediately after a flight.
The technology was trialled by Etihad Airways after a prolonged period of negotiation, and generated £1.3m in extra revenue from 1,300 passengers over the course of a year.
“We didn’t have a track record, so we offered to build the software at our own risk, asking only for a share of the additional revenue we could generate,” said Lowe.
“It was a bold approach, but after months of negotiations, Etihad agreed.”
Reddy added: “Airlines have vast amounts of passenger data—what people eat on board, how early they arrive at the airport, how long they spend in lounges—but much of it goes unused,”
“Our platform bridges that gap by offering tailored, real-time options to passengers as soon as they get off the flight.”
The company has also recently secured the Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester AI innovation grant.
Having recently graduated, Reddy and Lowe are now focusing on scaling their operation.
They are in discussions with 14 airlines globally and aim to establish Arcube as a leader in the travel ancillary data market.