By: PR Fueled
By clinching the main prize, the company earned the opportunity to present at WiT Singapore in October 2024.
São Paulo, Brazil
August 15th, 2024
Flapper, a global on-demand charter platform, was named the winner of the Phocuswright Global Startup Pitch in the Scaleups: Emerging Markets segment. In its third year, the event brings together numerous industry partners to highlight the most groundbreaking technologies shaping the travel industry. This year’s edition was sponsored by JetBlue Ventures and counted on participation from the leading venture capital funds, including Amadeus Ventures, Plug and Play, Thayer Ventures, as well as CVC arms from Trip.com, Booking.com and American Express, among others. The finalists were appraised based on the uniqueness of their solution, the competence of their team, traction and ESG aspects. Eighteen companies were selected to present their final pitch out of a pool of more than 200 applicants, with eight winners in different categories moving forward to showcase at WiT in Singapore, scheduled for October 14-16.
Flapper’s CEO, Paul Malicki, pointed out the importance of receiving recognition from the global team of judges selected by Phocuswright: “It is a great honor for us to be chosen as category winners, and we are very pleased that the judges have acknowledged our effort in creating a profitable business with an international reach and a unique approach to sustainability. Having triumphed at the NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas and at the Global Investment in Aviation Summit in Dubai, Flapper Team is making its way to Singapore, showcasing its ability to establish a globally recognized air charter business.”
Flapper’s revenues in the first half of 2024 increased by 24% YoY, with four out of six months registering break-even. Its customers can currently quote one of 2,500 safety-vetted jets, helicopters and commercial airliners available for charter on its marketplace, with 3,000 more available through third-party air charter sourcing systems. A proprietary quotation system estimates the price of the charter flight, which the company claims can be then arranged in less than 2 hours. Flapper’s shared flights service is available on the routes in Brazil which include São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, as well as São Paulo and Angra dos Reis. It boasts local presence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, as well as Florida (US) and Portugal (EU). As a leader in the on-demand executive aviation services in Latin America, Flapper has garnered a user base of over 400,000 for its mobile app, solidifying its status as the most downloaded air charter app globally.
In line with the sustainability efforts of the business aviation sector, the company is collaborating with multiple OEMs, including Eve, Electra and MagniX, to accelerate the adoption of all-electric aircraft for urban and regional air travel. It recently launched an innovative Book and Claim system for offsetting of carbon emissions in partnership with Malta-based 360 Aviation.
The Global Startup Pitch Competition is part of our ongoing commitment to cultivating innovation including our WiT Bootcamps, Phocuswright Startup Program, Hot25 Startups, Launch, and an industry-driving global network of leaders on the gleaming edge of innovation.
About Flapper
Flapper is a global on-demand private aviation platform. Headquartered in Brazil, and with local offices in key cities around the world, the company commercialized scheduled flights in Brazil and boasts more than 2,500 safety-vetted charter aircraft on its marketplace platform. Flapper reports more than 400,000 users of its mobile app and is both ARGUS- and Wyvern-certified. For more information, visit https://flyflapper.com/en
About Phocuswright:
Phocuswright is a leading research and event firm focused on the travel industry, known for identifying and nurturing innovation. Its Global Startup Pitch, now in its third year and sponsored by JetBlue Ventures, spotlights cutting-edge travel technologies. Collaborating with WiT, PhocusWire, and industry partners, the competition invites seedup and scaleup startups from Asia/Pacific, Emerging Markets, Europe, and the Americas, plus a Wildcard category. The goal is to uncover transformative solutions shaping the future of travel.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
