London Based Travel-Tech Start-up Portr Secures £3.3 Million Series A Investment

LONDON, August 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

As London's thriving tech scene continues to grow, Portr have announced they have completed a £3.3 million Series A investment round. This will fund expansion of its on-demand luggage delivery service, AirPortr, into new airports, providing even more passengers with the affordable luxury of #LuggageFreedom.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150805/256168LOGO )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150805/256305 )

With AirPortr, customers book their bag-free journey from their smartphone (via portr.com) in advance or on the day. Their luggage is then transported promptly and securely to or from the airport, freeing them up to travel more efficiently around the city, before being reunited later that day.

Investors in the recent funding round included two Venture Capital Trust Funds managed by leading London fund manager Hargreave Hale and a number of angel investors with backgrounds in SaaS, technology and on-demand services.

Portr launched its sophisticated same-day delivery service last year at London City Airport, which carries over 3.6 million passengers per annum and represents 2.5% of London's air travel^[i] . Since then, the company has:

• Built a reputation as a trusted service provider, successfully delivered thousands of bags maintaining a 100% on-time delivery record and five star reviews online
• Collaborated with airlines, airports and regulators to deliver ground breaking innovations improving the passenger experience - as seen with Carousel Collection for British Airways
• Demonstrated the service's relevance to all traveller and trip types, satisfying a growing consumer demand for convenience tech, saving the most valuable of all commodities, time
• The service is building a high percentage of repeat usage by regular travellers, showing the service has become an essential part of the journey

To coincide with the announcement on funding, Portr have also announced that they have secured a long-term agreement to operate at London Gatwick and have launched their AirPortr service in Gatwick South Terminal. With almost 40 million passengers annually, Gatwick represents a major step-up for the company, providing direct access to 32% of London's non-transferring traffic^[ii] and a significant opportunity to grow the company's user base.

Portr have also announced the board will be joined by a new non-executive director, Sean McDonald. With over 20 years' experience in the travel and technology industries, Sean was formerly Senior Vice President for Sales & Marketing at Expedia, where he ran the commercial teams at the Expedia Affiliate Network - the world's largest online travel affiliate business. Sean will focus on expanding and strengthening the company's affiliate network with global partners, including airlines and hotel groups, while helping to grow the sales and relationship management teams at Portr.

Commenting, Randel Darby, CEO & Founder: "Having worked hard to build a recognised service standard over the last twelve months in a challenging, typically risk-averse industry, this week's announcements are hugely exciting and progressive for a start-up such as Portr. Having secured £3.3 million of equity funding, we are now well positioned to grow the business at the world's largest single runway airport, London Gatwick, as well as continue to develop our faster travel products and technology, transforming transportation. One key area of development is our iOS operative app to support a truly mobile workforce. This enables our staff on the ground, being our user interface, to operate efficiently and with great flexibility from any location, servicing the customer's every need - essential in larger airports and when testing new markets. So watch this space!"

Please explore more at portr.com

Editor's Note: 

• AirPortr was set up by three frustrated frequent fliers who met by coincidence and shared a vision to create a better way to travel for everyone.
• Founded in 2012. AirPortr launched in May 2014 at London City Airport.
• AirPortr is the first service of its kind in Europe.  
• Pricing: £15 to Airport addresses and local hotels, £25 to Central London and £35 within the M25. Each additional bag costs £5 (with no size or weight restrictions).
• AirPortr have successfully delivered thousands of bags and all with a 100% customer satisfaction record.
• All luggage can be GPS tracked in real time and is covered for £10,000; there are no amendment or cancellation fees, customers receive delivery updates by text/ email and can view their driver's profile*
• Launched in Gatwick South Terminal in July 2015 followed by in Gatwick North Terminal in Winter 2015/16

i. Source CAA - UK Civil Aviation Authority 2014 figures

ii. Source CAA - UK Civil Aviation Authority 2014 figures

* Terms and Conditions apply, please refer to Portr.com for full details

For further press information, imagery or to ensure you experience Luggage Freedom the next time you travel please contact: Marie-Claire at AirPortr: M: +44-(0)7990-453-910 / DD: +44-(0)203-384-6677 or mclalor@portr.com