Plug and Play, the world’s largest corporate innovation platform and the most active VC worldwide, today announced its partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) Airports. URW is an owner, developer and operator of sustainable, high-quality real estate assets across the U.S. and Europe with a premier portfolio of airport and transit commercial programs. Plug and Play will partner with URW to further the company's mission of providing customers with a more seamless travel experience while driving commercial performance to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is a global innovation platform that brings together the best startups with the world's largest corporations. Through this partnership, URW Airports will enhance its visibility and gain early access to the global startup community.
“Putting the customer first is paramount to everything we do, and partnering with Plug and Play will enable us to quickly bring to market some of the most exciting, innovative, and relevant customer solutions across our Airports portfolio,” said Dany Nasr, URW Airports CEO. “This partnership is about connecting with thought leaders across technology, travel, and customer experience to challenge the status quo, enhance the airport experience, and drive customers to expect the exceptional when traveling through one of our programs. We can’t wait to get started.”
Plug and Play's Travel & Hospitality program launched in 2016 and has since expanded to six locations around the world. Since its inception, the Travel program has accelerated over 250 startups and worked with some of the most innovative corporations in the industry. With this partnership, Plug and Play's goal is to complement URW’s innovation roadmap through vetted introductions to promising travel technologies that will seek to enhance a passenger’s journey through airports including shorter queues and an innovative digital marketplace that will provide a seamless experience through the terminal.
“We're absolutely excited to welcome URW Airports to the Plug and Play corporate innovation ecosystem. We believe this will be an impactful partnership, one that aligns with their ongoing commitment to innovation and digital transformation,” said Amir Amidi, Plug and Play Managing Partner. “URW's track record speaks for itself, from introducing contactless mobile ordering at airports to fostering partnerships and investments in startups, their efforts resonate with our shared goal of enhancing the traveler experiences.”
“With our combined resources and connections, we're looking forward to supporting URW's innovative initiatives and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of travel,” said Mike Sung, Plug and Play Director, Partner Success. “It's a partnership that holds the promise of exciting developments for travelers everywhere.”
