{"id":176,"date":"2023-02-27T23:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T14:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/?p=176"},"modified":"2024-10-14T09:53:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T00:53:33","slug":"meet-victor-at-tryp-com-building-up-traveltech-cluster-in-hokkaido","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/blog\/176\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Victor at Tryp.com, building up TravelTech cluster in Hokkaido"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Victor Gram Thomsen pitching during TechBBQ Sapporo on January 27th, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tryp.com<\/a>\u00a0is an artificial intelligence-powered, inspirational traveling platform, allowing adventurous souls to travel more for less. The Tryp.com AI engine creates fully detailed, ready-to-go trips, including all transportation and accommodation, both for single and multi-destination trips. It\u2019s a seed stage startup, headquartered in Odense, Denmark.<\/p>\n

Back in September 2022, the Tryp.com team and Startup City Sapporo were both attending TechBBQ in Copenhagen.\u00a0Victor Gram Thomsen<\/a><\/span><\/span>, the co-founder & head of infrastructure at Tryp.com, longing for living in Japan, met the Startup City Sapporo team at the same venue. A month later he applied for a Startup Visa in Hokkaido, to expand Tryp.com to the Japanese market.<\/p>\n

Traveling made simple by Tryp.com<\/h1>\n

Hi Victor! Let us know what you\u2019re working on.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re Tryp.com, and we use artificial intelligence to generate trip packages, including both transportation and accommodation. We\u2019re a one-stop, super travel platform, where users get the best the world and the travel market has to offer, in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n

Like most people, we think traveling is awesome \u2014 it\u2019s pretty much the ultimate form of self realization, relaxation and personal growth. However,\u00a0planning\u00a0<\/em>a trip can be both time consuming, tedious, and confusing . This is especially the case if people want to do multi-destination traveling, without breaking the bank. If you\u2019re doing that on your own, you will probably end up with 20 travel platforms open across four windows, and a few Excel spreadsheets to keep track of it all \u2014 we strip this experience away, and leave you with just the fun part of traveling \u2014 the traveling itself.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.tryp.com\/en<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the things that we do differently, is the usage of our AI engine, to easily scan and understand the full picture of the traveling market, in real time. Having the full overview of all the various transportation forms and hotel options, is simply not an option for a human. To an AI however, it\u2019s perfectly doable.<\/p>\n

To me, the coolest thing our platform offers is the inspirational aspect, which is also where the AI really shines. The way you search for trips on Tryp.com is more or less opposite from what you\u2019re probably used to on typical online travel platforms: Rather than forcing you to choose a specific destination, specific departure and arrival dates, and a specific mode of transport, we simply ask you where you\u2019re traveling from, and then we let the AI take the wheel from there.<\/p>\n

So given nothing but a starting point, and the default \u201canytime, anywhere\u201d search setting, our AI will look at the realtime travel market (buses, trains, airplanes, ferries and accommodation options) and our location database, and go: \u201cOkay, what is the best trip we can create, at the best price?\u201d. And the selection of trips always ends up being super exciting: You\u2019ll have locations that you maybe didn\u2019t realize you wanted to see, but now you pretty much can\u2019t afford not to go. Or even better, when the AI throws a location at you, that you didn\u2019t even know existed! Because nobody can know every possible destination \u2014 but an AI can do that!<\/p>\n

Of course, if you know where you want to go, how you want to go there, when you want to go there, we allow you to specify that as well. We let you search for specific regions, countries or cities, you can include multiple of both, you can use the sustainable mode to only use public transport, and any trip can have both its mode of transport, dates and hotels modified. We just start the search from a very wide and abstract point of view, and allow users to narrow down and get as specific as they\u2019d like to.<\/p>\n

Discover more destinations in Japan<\/h1>\n

We are currently adding a bunch of new destinations in Japan, and working towards integrating new providers of non-aviation transportation. Japan has such a strong public transport infrastructure, and we really hope to leverage that, to bring people to all the hidden gems and unbeaten paths of Japan!<\/p>\n

This is also one of the reasons that it made a ton of sense for me to move to Hokkaido: Not only does it have the most supportive startup ecosystem I\u2019ve ever experienced, but it is one of the places that I want travelers and adventurous souls to come see and explore. This place has so, so, so much to offer, and I want Tryp.com to help bridge the gap between travelers and places like Hokkaido.<\/p>\n

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The perfect storm of living in Japan after a long pause<\/h1>\n

You\u2019ve traveled to Japan previously, and visited Kyoto, Osaka and other cities in Japan \u2014 why did you decide to start your startup journey in Hokkaido?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, I\u2019ve had the absolute pleasure of visiting some really wonderful cities in Japan before, but I had actually never been north of Tokyo before moving to Sapporo!<\/p>\n

I had wanted to move to Japan for a while, but Japan can be a tricky country to get any kind of extended residency in. Then the pandemic happened, putting the world on pause, and closing everything down for an unknown amount of time. So for a period of time, I really felt like my Japan dream just wasn\u2019t going to happen \u2014 the stars just weren\u2019t aligning right. And that\u2019s when I bumped into Startup City Sapporo, at TechBBQ Copenhagen 2022!<\/p>\n

All of a sudden, not only was Japan an option, but there was somewhere that not only wanted me to come, but for me to bring my startup with me. I not only got the perfect storm of living in Japan and continuing working on Tryp.com, I got a support network of passionate people, ready to help me navigate this metaphorical storm.<\/p>\n

So that\u2019s how it started. The entire process since that day in September 2022 has been nothing but a testament to the fact that Hokkaido and Sapporo was the right place, not just for me, but for Tryp.com: The constant support and guidance from Startup City Sapporo during the entire process so far, the English application for the startup visa, the government subsidy to help us international founders hit the ground running \u2014 I could go on for a while about how much help we have already gotten. And now that I\u2019m here, the support has only intensified: We get help finding housing, office space, and of course help getting in touch with the right people, to help our business grow and succeed in Japan.<\/p>\n

Make the hidden gems of Hokkaido accessible for Western tourists<\/h1>\n

What I also came to realize, as it became more and more clear that Sapporo was actually gonna be my home, was that Hokkaido as a destination is exactly the reason a platform like ours is important: Hokkaido is incredible. It\u2019s drop dead gorgeous, the food is incredible, it has everything from untouched nature, to unique, bustling cities. It has a rich cultural history, and the people here are so kind, and passionate about Hokkaido, and what it was, is, and can be. There\u2019s such a sense of adventure when traveling here, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s shocking how undervisited it is, especially by Western tourists. So being here, right in the middle of a place that adventurous souls deserve to know about and see, just feels right when being a part of a company like Tryp.com!<\/p>\n

So summarized, it ended up being Hokkaido for a multitude of reasons: The phenomenal work of Startup City Sapporo in supporting us founders, the easy application process, and the fact that Hokkaido as a travel destination embodies everything that Tryp.com is about.<\/p>\n

How has your life been in Sapporo\/Hokkaido?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The first week in Sapporo was an absolute rollercoaster!<\/p>\n

I hadn\u2019t even landed in Sapporo, when Startup City Sapporo helped me get an opportunity to talk with JR East Marketing & Communications Inc. (JEKI), one of the subsidiaries of JR, in order to make some connections with local transportation companies \u2014 once again, I\u2019d like to highlight Startup City Sapporo going above and beyond to help me set up these types of meetings.<\/p>\n

TechBBQ in Copenhagen & Sapporo<\/h1>\n

And of course, the absolute highlight of the first week was TechBBQ Sapporo. Four months after meeting Startup City Sapporo at TechBBQ Copenhagen, I was lucky enough to be a part of TechBBQ Sapporo, the first ever international startup conference in Sapporo. It was the perfect ending to the first week, as well as the perfect beginning to the story of Tryp.com in Japan.<\/p>\n

During the event, I had the honor of participating in a talk session about Travel Tech during TechBBQ Sapporo, alongside:\u00a0Per Arne Friestad<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Nordic Travel Tech Lab AS<\/a>,\u00a0Sunny Long<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Pie Systems<\/a>,\u00a0KOJI ABE<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0JTB Corp.<\/a>\u00a0moderated by\u00a0Miho Tanaka<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Startup City Sapporo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Travel Tech Talk session during Tech BBQ Sapporo on January 27th, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was a ton of fun, and I think we managed to touch on some meaningful subjects about both ecosystem building and knowledge-sharing in the travel tech vertical, from the Nordics to Hokkaido.<\/p>\n

How was the entire experience during TechBBQ Sapporo?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was fantastic! I really enjoyed being a part of my first ever talk session, and just getting to meet a lot of the passionate souls that make up the ecosystem that\u2019s developing up here.<\/p>\n

I was lucky enough to get to participate in the pitch competition, alongside a group of passionate and talented founders, both international and local \u2014 and we won the international half of the competition!<\/p>\n

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I got to talk to so many passionate people, from all parts of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and the world. It was super fun and enlightening, and I hope to stay in touch with as many as possible \u2014 and perhaps explore potential collaborations down the line.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0JETRO Startup<\/a>,\u00a0Startup City Sapporo<\/a>, and\u00a0TechBBQ Sapporo<\/a>\u00a0team worked extremely hard to make an amazing inaugural\u00a0TechBBQ Sapporo<\/a>, and they succeeded in every sense of the word! I have no doubt that this first event was the beginning of something special over here, and I\u2019m proud that we get to be a part of it. If you missed it this year, stay on the lookout for next year\u2019s event \u2014 I\u2019ll be there!<\/p>\n

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Victor from Tryp.com pitching during TechBBQ Sapporo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bringing more people to see more of Japan<\/h1>\n

Wow, so many things are going on right after you landed in Sapporo!
\nThe second month in Sapporo has just started, what\u2019s your plan now?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve experienced nothing but incredible support in Sapporo so far, and the stage has absolutely been set for us to do cool things over here. Now it\u2019s our turn to repay that trust and run with it.<\/p>\n

Right now, I\u2019m putting a lot of energy into adding a lot of new Japanese destinations to our platform! Pretty much everyday, I meet both locals and internationals, who tell me about incredible places in Japan. And every time, I\u2019m sitting there thinking: \u201cWe have to add this place to the Tryp.com selection!\u201d. I keep being surprised at how little I know about the possible destinations here, and I\u2019m sure that many travelers feel the same.<\/p>\n

As a part of that, I\u2019m always on the lookout to meet companies that provide any means of transportation around Japan: Bus companies, train providers, airplane carriers \u2014 anything that will help us bring more people to see more of Japan.<\/p>\n

On a more personal note, I\u2019m also having a lot of fun exploring Hokkaido and Japan. So far, I\u2019ve had a lovely onsen trip to Jozankei, I have a trip to Otaru and Yoichi planned, a trip to eastern Hokkaido in the works, and a 14 day getaway to Sado Island planned. To Japanese natives these may seem like very normal destinations, but I genuinely did not know any of these places existed before coming here. So it\u2019s my very humble beginnings in terms of getting familiar with the, from a Western perspective, hidden gems of Japan.<\/p>\n

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Otaru, Hokkaido<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And of course, I have the absolute pleasure of exploring my new home Sapporo every single day, which I\u2019m loving every second of. It\u2019s an incredible place, and I still find myself smiling stupidly whenever I take a second to think about how it\u2019s my home now.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still finding my footing here, and figuring out how to balance my responsibilities as co-founder and head of infrastructure, while simultaneously growing Tryp.com as a platform in Japan. It\u2019s a challenge for sure, but I\u2019m having a ton of fun taking it on, and I can\u2019t wait to see just how far we can take things here. I hope that Tryp.com will soon be able to generate trips to and around Japan, unlike anything currently available on the market.<\/p>\n

A strong sense of community<\/h1>\n

Please share your thoughts for the upcoming founders \u2014 what\u2019s your feeling like about the whole Hokkaido community and ecosystem?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I have said this before, and I\u2019ll keep on saying it: We\u2019re brewing something special up here. As a founder, I think it\u2019s very easy to be lured into focussing on the large, famous ecosystems of the entrepreneurship world. And yes, those do absolutely have their advantages, it\u2019s not like they have the reputation they have for no reason.<\/p>\n

But smaller ecosystems and communities, like ours in Hokkaido, also have very unique strengths. We\u2019re still just getting started here, but there are so many passionate and driven people wanting to make a difference here. And when you\u2019re surrounded by those kinds of people, that energy rubs off on you in a big way, and it creates such a strong sense of community. This manifests in really cool ways, like how easy it is to get the support and help you need. Whenever I get an idea for some collaboration or partnership I\u2019d like to pursue, or run into some sort of hurdle, the time between me reaching out to get help moving forward, and me getting that help is so, so short. And often it\u2019s even more than I asked for that comes back: Additional opportunities, new contacts, ideas to grow whatever I\u2019ve suggested in new directions. We help each other succeed in a different way, and celebrate our victories together. And here in Hokkaido, I\u2019ve experienced this both from a government level, from local VCs, from other founders, both local and international, and from the rest of the entrepreneurial community here.<\/p>\n

Even when looking away from the strong community here, Hokkaido has a lot to offer: Plenty of government support for founders, a strong university environment, that have an increasing focus on entrepreneurship as well (with some really cool startups already founded in universities), there\u2019s a ton of opportunities and industry within verticals like SpaceTech, AgriTech, TravelTech and AI. And of course, as a founder and resident here, it doesn\u2019t exactly hurt that it\u2019s a wonderful place to live \u2014 the food, the people, the many, many, many things to see and do. It all contributes to growing both yourself and your company.<\/p>\n

So if this sounds good to any current or future founders reading this, I\u2019d absolutely advise them to start their journey the way I did: Reach out to Startup City Sapporo. They know the ecosystem, they know the opportunities you have, and they\u2019ll be able to guide you every step of the way. And if you happen to go for it, please do get in touch! I\u2019m always really happy to grab a cup of coffee, or a cold Sapporo beer after work!<\/p>\n

Thanks Victor! Looking forward to seeing Tryp.com going viral in Hokkaido, Japan, Asia, and the world, and celebrating our victories together!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Victor Gram Thomsen pitching during TechBBQ Sapporo on January 27th, 2023 Tryp.com\u00a0is an artificial intelligence-powered, inspirational traveling platform, allowing adventurous souls to travel more for less. The Tryp.com AI engine creates fully detailed, ready-to-go trips, including all transportation and accommodation, both for single and multi-destination trips. It\u2019s a seed stage startup, headquartered in Odense, Denmark. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-blog.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":178,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176\/revisions\/178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/startuphokkaido.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}