The 6th Idea Platform Came to a Close!
New ideas and standout teams!
The 6th youth competition Idea Platform by CapsuleT Travel & Hospitality Accelerator was enriched with upgraded entries and original ideas. The Closing and Award Ceremony took place yesterday, Tuesday, May 6, in a festive atmosphere, where three innovative proposals were awarded, at the EVDOMOS multipurpose venue in Athens.
CapsuleT, the accelerator of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, hosted 7 youth teams that completed the intensive competition program, which aims to support pioneering ideas in tourism and hospitality.
During the event, the teams presented their business proposals in front of the Judging Committee and an audience filled with industry professionals, partners, and program supporters.
The winning teams of the 6th Idea Platform:
The three teams won cash prizes, valuable offerings from partners, and the opportunity to continue in the 8th Acceleration Cycle of CapsuleT.
Specifically, first place and the €3,000 cash prize was awarded to Umbrella Add On, second place went to Bookerty, receiving €2,000, and finally, third place and €1,000 was awarded to the team of e-Philoxenia.
The President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Mr. Alexandros Vassilikos, stated: “It is very important and I’m very pleased that we serve as a link between generations. We must give space and opportunity to young people to express themselves. Generations intersect and mix, and what results from that exchange is the wealth we all need to evolve, in this case, hospitality. We can give you values, and through those values, you must evolve your ideas. I wish you all a great future — which belongs to you. Tourism is not our industry; it’s yours. That’s inevitable — we’ll hand it over to you. So, do what you believe is worth doing based on the values we all stand for and in ways that suit your generation.”
Ms. Katerina Saridaki, Director of the Accelerator, said: “At the 6th Idea Platform, we were especially happy and moved to see 7 teams completing the program, presenting successfully, and being able to highlight their ideas as business proposals. The difference we see from the beginning to today’s final presentation day is significant — we see the progress and the work the participants have done with the mentors and workshop facilitators. And for that, we would like to sincerely thank the strategic partners and mentors of the program. Because without them, we wouldn’t have reached the level we saw today.”
Also honoring us with their presence were Ms. Christina Tetradi, Vice President of the HCH, Ms. Agni Christidou, Director of the HCH, as well as many industry representatives, including teams from previous acceleration cycles and Idea Platforms.
Mystery Pot and WeTip, past winners, presented their now evolved and thriving startups, inspiring the competing teams and showing them the path they can follow after the Program.
The teams that competed
The 7 teams that participated both in the preparatory phase and in the competition part of the 6th Idea Platform were as follows:
Bookerty
Bookerty is a booking platform for short-term rentals with extremely low booking fees and pioneering features such as Guest Offer, Auction System, and Host Phone Number Display. It offers maximum flexibility, cost-efficiency, and freedom to its users, redefining the hospitality sector in Greece.
e-Philoxenia
e-Philoxenia is an application that improves the guest experience and automates hotel operations. It offers personalized services, an AI assistant, mobile check-in/out, and bookings. It analyzes guest behavior with AI, suggests services, and integrates with PMSs, making hospitality efficient and personal.
F.I.O.R.I.
F.I.O.R.I. is an integrated platform for the tourism sector offering smart personnel sourcing, service evaluation via Mystery Guest, and targeted training. It connects people and businesses, enhancing the hospitality experience and improving service quality.
Sustain Habits
Sustain Habits is a platform for managing trained personnel in sustainable practices for seasonal tourism businesses. It provides sustainable training, consulting for prospective employees, and ongoing personalized evaluation of existing employees through AI, improving service quality and reducing training costs for businesses. The goal is sustainable development in the tourism workforce.
Umbrella Add On
A smart, multifunctional device that attaches to any umbrella and targets high-end hotels and beach bars. It offers solar charging for portable devices, storage space for personal items, and an integrated ordering system. It enhances the guest experience with comfort and autonomy while offering added value to hospitality businesses through practical, sustainable, and technologically advanced solutions.
UNLMTD
UNLMTD is an online platform aimed at travelers seeking value-for-money options who love convenience and speed. Using AI, it delivers complete travel experiences within the user’s budget quickly and simply.
Verda Vista
Verda Vista is an AI-driven DCS aiming to unify lighting, cooling, and heating processes through automated management of consumption and energy performance from the property’s renewable sources. Its goal is to reduce energy use and hotel operating costs.
Rich content for participants
The 6th Idea Platform stood out for the quality of tourism-related ideas/solutions presented. The teams worked on their ideas by participating in intensive themed workshops like “How to build your team,” “Product Design,” “Basics on Funding,” “Branding,” “Digital Marketing Fundamentals,” “Legal Issue,” and “Pitching Skills,” as well as talks and online mentoring sessions under the guidance of CapsuleT’s experienced partners.
The final presentation of their business proposals took place before the Accelerator’s Judging Committee at the Closing and Awards Event, which consisted of:
– Athanasios Sofianos, Founder & CEO, Relevance Digital Agency
– Nikos Papagiannopoulos, Head of Digital & Innovation, Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”
– Spyros Arsenis, Head of Innovative Entrepreneurship Development, NBG Business Seeds, Strategy Department of the Bank & Group
– Lisa Katsouraki, Startup Expert & Angel Investor
– Stefania Flenga, Hospitality Consultant & Hotel Management Expert
Strategic partners and supporters of the 6th Idea Platform
For the successful implementation of the 6th Idea Platform, the CapsuleT team joined forces with leading companies in the tourism ecosystem. As strategic partners, Athens International Airport, Expedia Group, NBG Business Seeds of the National Bank of Greece, HotelBrain Group, FNG Law Firm, and Relevance participated. The Accelerator’s program was also supported by mentors and speakers from recognized tourism startups: Campsaround, Clio Muse Tours, Ferryhopper, SaMMY, Tourmie, TravelMyth, Triparound και Welcome Pickups.
Next appointment
The 7th Idea Platform will launch in February 2026, while from May 26 to June 26, 2025, the application period will open for the 8th Acceleration Cycle of CapsuleT for early-stage startups in the tourism sector.
Watch soon the special video of the Closing and Awards Ceremony of the 6th Idea Platform below.
Stay tuned to the Accelerator’s social media to follow our upcoming activities in Greece and abroad!
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