Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator

Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator

The Home for Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Innovators

What is a start-up incubator?

Business incubators are facilities that provide shared resources for start-up companies and individual entrepreneurs to develop their business by providing a full- scale range of services starting with management assistance, office space, mentorship and ending with venture capital financing. HI Hub Incubator offers information and training on how to form and manage start-ups; conducts statistical research; provides a referral service; and publishes a newsletter, mentorship assistance, various reports and a state of the hospitality technology industry analysis.

HI Hub Incubator’s mission is to provide all NYU affiliated start-up businesses  and young entrepreneurs with four core services.

Core services:

  • Plan your Business: Turn your great idea into a great business plan
  • Launch your Business: Turn your business plan into a reality (register, file, and start doing business)
  • Manage your Business: Master day-to-day operations and prepare for success
  • Grow your Business: Find new funding, locations, and customers when business is good and it's time to expand.

Additional services:

  • Help with business basics
  • Networking activities
  • Marketing assistance
  • Market research
  • High-speed Internet access
  • Help with accounting/financial management
  • Help with presentation skills
  • Links to all NYU resources
  • Links to strategic industry partners  
  • Access to angel investors and/or venture capital  
  • Comprehensive business training programs
  • Mentors and Advisory Boards
  • Help with management team identification
  • Help with business etiquette  
  • Technology commercialization assistance and more...

START-UPS

NYU affiliated start-up founders who have an active MVP in the travel, tourism, or hospitality industries can apply to join our incubator program free of charge.
 

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

The NYU Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality is extremely well-connected with the industry. Leading hospitality technology industry travel companies partner with the HI Hub Incubator to help them implement innovative and competitive solutions for multiple purposes including product development, marketing, M&A, tech talent recruiting, and more.

Getting started as an industry partner is easy and is free of charge.

Please contact us today if you are interested in becoming a partner.
 

MENTORS & INVESTORS

Travel industry experts and start-up specialists who seek to support the development of travel, tourism, and hospitality solutions can easily join our network and have the opportunity to get in front of the most promising NYU affiliated new start-ups in the travel technology sphere.

Network with leaders in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries from NYC and around the world.

HI Hub mentors provide incubator members with the unique experience, guidance, and inspiration of top thought leaders.

We are always looking for more mentors in our network. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us!

Platinum Sponsors:
Apex Investment logo
Atento Capital logo
Knox Corps, Inc. logo
TravelTechLab by hotelbeds logo
Gold Sponsors:
jetBlue ventures logo
Growth Advisors International Network logo
Phocuswright logo
Silver Sponsors:
Tech4th logo
edible logo

Mentors & Investors

Eric Altschul

Eric Altschul
CEO
Etherio Group

Justin Anderson

Justin Anderson
Associate Director
Solidea Capital

Berrin Avcilar

Berrin Avcilar
Strategy and Business Modelling Consultant

Alex Aydin

Alex Aydin
CEO
BookingPal

Natalia Bayona

Natalia Bayona
Director of the Innovation, Education and Investments Department
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Peggy Bianco

Eddie Bergman
President
Innovative Development Services (IDS)

Peggy Bianco

Peggy Bianco
Travel & Hospitality Consultant

Chloe Carver

Chloe Carver
Head of the Corporate Travel Practice, Acquis Consulting Group

Carly Chase

Carly Chase
VP, Career Business Franchise, U.S. News & World Report

Stephanie Cheung

Stephanie Cheung
Director, Strategy & Insights
Marketing Challenges International, Inc

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen
Advisor
Metaverse and Hospitality XR

Elizabeth Haas Edersheim
Sal Esposito

Sal Esposito
CEO
SkyAuction

David Falter

David Falter
Managing Partner
Acorn Growth Partners

Tariq Farid

Tariq Farid
Founder & CEO
Edible Brands

Asi Ginio

Asi Ginio
Chairman
Joyned.co

Grant Guinn

Grant Guinn
Managing Partner
GL8 Hospitality, LLC

Greeley Koch

Greeley Koch
Managing Director
490 Consulting

Flo Lugli

Flo Lugli
Principal
Navesink Advisory Group, LLC

Kunal Lunawat

Kunal Lunawat
Chief Growth Officer
Wilder

David Millili

David Millili
Advisor
Hospitality

Scott Patterson

Scott Patterson
CEO
The Knox Group

Dave Pavelko

Dave Pavelko
Global Travel Bus.Dev.
Google

 Jose Maria Pestaña Sartorius

Jose Maria Pestaña Sartorius
Chief Innovation Officer & High Performance Organisation Director
Hotelbeds

Dermot Quigley

Dermot Quigley
CEO & Founder
Hotel Trader

Gene Quinn

Gene Quinn
Co Founder & Board Chair
TravelScrum

Douglas Rice

Douglas Rice
Managing Director
Hospitality Technology Network, LLC

George Roukas

George Roukas
Hospitality Consultant

Markus Schreyer

Markus Schreyer
Chairman Meta Foundation / Hospitality Executive

Jason Shames

Jason Shames
CEO & Founder
Skipper Hospitality

Ronen Stauber

Hansini Sharma
Practice Lead - Corporate Travel
Acquis Consulting Group

Stephen Snyder

Stephen Snyder
Managing Director
JetBlue Ventures

Ronen Stauber

Ronen Stauber
Managing Director
Jenro Capital

Dan Wacksman

Dan Wacksman
Principal
Sassato LLC

John Williams

John Williams
President
American Guest

Robin Wilson

Robin Wilson
CEO
CLEAN DESIGN HOME®

Ron Yariv

Ron Yariv
International Entrepreneurship / YARIV @ Hospitality Flavor

Fall 2023 CoHorts

Hazelicious is a company that’s obsessed with making the most delicious hazelnut products, in the most sustainable way. Naturally rich and creamy, our hazelnut milk has everything you want and nothing you don’t. Ridiculously rich and smooth or chunky, our hazelnut butter is oh-so spreadable and ready to reinvent toast. It all starts with premium hazelnuts.

At Hazelicious, we believe it’s not enough to be delicious—it also has to be sustainable. That’s why we source our hazelnuts from the Black Sea Coast of Turkey, where 600,000 small family farms produce 70-80% of the world’s annual crop. Our premium variety is handpicked and thrives on rainfall alone. That’s good news for people and the planet.

Hazelicious Interview

winner
Hazelicious logo

Hinoki is a financing platform helping freelancers and other visionaries access property homeownership. We're developing asset-based funding solutions and related tools for independent investment property and hospitality buyers.

Hinoki: Property financing for hospitality visionaries.

Hinoki logo

Mova*

*live your best life on your terms

Corporate and Individual Furnished Housing Solutions: Fully equipped and beautifully designed homes for mid-term stays on demand.

Introducing Mova: Where Innovative Design Meets Flexibility in New York's Finest Furnished Apartments!

Are you searching for a flexible and design-forward solution to your stay in the city that never sleeps? Look no further than Mova, your gateway to a new era of furnished apartments and corporate housing in New York, where innovation and style harmonize to offer you a tailored, hassle-free experience.

Flexible Living, Elevated: At Mova, we understand that life is dynamic, and your accommodations should be too. Our collection of flexible stay furnished apartments and corporate housing options allows you to adapt your living space to your ever-changing needs, all while enjoying the epitome of modern design and comfort.

Aesthetic Excellence: Mova takes pride in curating spaces that inspire. Step into our thoughtfully designed apartments, where form meets function seamlessly. Every Mova property showcases contemporary aesthetics, high-end furnishings, and artistic touches that transform your stay into a work of art.

Hassle-Free Convenience: Say goodbye to the hassles of traditional leasing and hello to the simplicity of Mova. Our flexible terms, online booking, and responsive concierge services ensure a seamless transition into your new home, no matter the duration of your stay.

Safety & Serenity: Your peace of mind is paramount to us. Mova prioritizes safety and security with top-notch features and rigorous cleanliness protocols. Rest easy in a secure and tranquil environment while you focus on what truly matters.

Immerse Yourself: Live like a local with Mova's insider recommendations for dining, entertainment, and cultural experiences nearby. Whether it's a short-term project or an extended stay, our flexible apartments allow you to immerse yourself fully in the New York experience.

Mova invites you to reimagine your stay in the city with the perfect blend of flexibility and design. Elevate your corporate housing experience with Mova, where every apartment is a masterpiece of modern living.

Mova Interview

mova logo

Sobat Bolang is an integrated digital platform to accommodate travelers to discover rural destinations as well as interact with other fellow travelers, connect them to the reliable local travel suppliers, and secure the transaction. Initially, Sobat Bolang will be launched and focused on Indonesia rural destinations market.

The mission of Sobat Bolang is providing solutions for tourists to find and access rural destination experiences to be more seamless, informative, trust, and affordable as well as supporting sustainable locals business growth.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Rizal Adhari Tells Us About His Startup, Sobat Bolang

sobat bolang logo

Welcome to Starship Reststop: Where the Future of Travel Meets Fun and Sustainability! At Starship Reststop, we’re transforming the way you experience rest stops, pioneering electric vehicle (EV) rest areas to reimagine the road trip model and shape the future of travel. Picture this: You’re on the highway, and your EV needs a charge. That’s where we come in. Starship Reststop is your sanctuary for both you and your electric steed, offering lightning-fast charging stations and a unique experience. But we’re not just a rest stop; we’re a movement. Our vision embraces change, redefines travel, and champions the EV revolution, including the needs of commercial EV fleets. We welcome commercial EV trucks with open arms, providing them with the same fast charging stations and all the amenities they require for a restful stop on the road. Join us in supporting a greener, cleaner, and more exciting future of transportation, accommodating all aspects of the EV journey. Discover the Future of Rest Stops at Starship Reststop Today! Be a catalyst for a brighter, more sustainable future - it’s not just a pit stop; it’s a pit start.

Starship Interview

Starship logo

Fall 2022 CoHorts

We are the FIRST ever decentralized marketing marketplace, that connects influencers like you and l with merchants, primarily for generic and in depth social media marketing.

We offer every social media user a streamlined approach to monetize their online presence, just as Airbnb did with physical spaces. At the same time, our groundbreaking process offers merchants continuous exposure on social media with minimum effort.

We aim to be the Web 3.0 answer to marketing (compared to Google and Meta for Web 1 & 2), that blurs the line between influencers and consumers.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalists Elaine Song and Simon Hou Tell Us about Their Startup, Anonymous Agent Inc.

winner
Anonymous Agent logo

Cultura is a large capacity cultural hub for dance music opening Fall 2023 in Brooklyn. We bring together a performance venue, music education programs, world class music programming, and rotating exhibitions by visual artists. Featuring multiple distinct indoor spaces with an intimate feel and an outdoor area, Cultura elevates the roots of dance music, originally created and championed by marginalized communities - people of color and the LGBTQIA+. Cultura is DEI-focused, committed to leaving the smallest environmental footprint, and plans to scale with branded tours and national gatherings.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalists Navid Zahraie, Steven Klavier, and Monica Stewart Tell Us about Their Startup, Cultura

Cultura logo

Human rights include the right to housing and a healthy environment. Gulch believes that addressing the affordable housing crisis and climate resiliency should be done together for all communities. Through the production of high-tech, customizable, and recyclable housing units, Gulch are able to address the root causes of the issue. Through the development of sustainable and energy-efficient communities, such as the Gulch ADU, Gulch can help create jobs and provide opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Zihan Yan Tells Us about His Startup, Gulch

Gulch logo

Powdrinks, now Beyond Water, wants to revolutionize the new way of fitness drink by offering a convenient and better texture fitness drink. We hope to create a product that is not available in the market.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Cheong Chun Li Tells Us About His Startup, Beyond Water

POW logo

Shred NY is the first of its kind, Shred Bar, a fast casual location serving healthy menus where fresh ingredients are prepared to order using our state of the art food processors.  Our unique process reduces food waste and maximizes the freshness and nutritional benefits of the food we serve. Our mission is to create a global community and lifestyle brand for anyone who shares a passion for shredding.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Aviva Wolf Tells Us about Her Startup, Shred

Shred logo

Spring 2022 CoHorts

ArtForm is founded by Danielle Shubsda, Katrina Chan, and McKenna Woodlan. Born in Professor Garland’s Entrepreneurship & Business Development Class, ArtForm is an easy-to-use platform, both a website and an app, for event planners and entertainment artists with 24/7 customer service support. Throughout our verification process, we eliminate the need for artists to have an advocate and open artists' eyes to unique performance opportunities. We also enable event planners to gain access to a variety of performers who are affordable, accessible, and high quality. Focusing on corporate, social, and personal events, ArtForm is the Bumble for connecting event planners and entertainers.

ArtForm: An app startup for event entertainment booking helping to connect performing artists and event planners

ArtForm logo

Camp Snack is a service that helps plan your camping trip and provides hassle-free pre-packaged and tailored meals to accompany the incredible experience. Camp Snack clients choose from a menu matrix their preferred meals per day. The meal packages get delivered to their preferred location. The client heats the meal according to CS instructions and enjoys the meal. Once done, the client returns the used equipment. Fantastic food to pair the perfect surrounding. Easy to plan. Ready to order. Camping made simple.

CAMP SNACK helps you plan your trip and provides hassle-free pre-packaged and tailored meals to accompany the incredible trip experience.

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Chixa is a ready-to-drink (RTD) tepache cocktail made with all-natural ingredients, Mexican rum, and prebiotics. Our teach cocktails sit at the rapidly growing intersection of functional beverages, RTDs, hand-crafted rums, and culturally inspired drinks. Chixa is a low-ABV and low sugar cocktail offering all-natural ingredients without sacrificing taste. Health-conscious drinkers can enjoy a good time without sacrificing taste or feeling guilty about what they put into their bodies.

Chixa Inc.: A startup dedicated to the production and sales of ready-to-drink tepache cocktails.

winner
Chixa - Tepache Cocktails

Go Gig is a service that brings the gig economy to the hospitality industry by connecting hotels with verified and trained housekeepers. Our service was developed with the purpose of addressing the labor shortage in the hospitality industry and creating more favorable working conditions for employees. It provides individuals with direct control over their pay, schedule, and work setting, while also providing them with an option to receive the benefits of a full-time position. Simultaneously, our service provides hotels with a network of independent on-demand workers to contract with on an as needed basis without the hassle or cost of hiring and maintaining full-time employees. Go Gig matches trained housekeepers with open hotel gigs... on your schedule.

Go Gig: A startup aimed at connecting hotels with verified gig workers and offering convenient services for both parties.

GoGig - On Your Schedule

The Local Hotel is a mid-upscale hotel that offers middle income millennials and gen-z interested in cultural tourism and beach vacation with an authentic local experience while being environmentally conscious.

The Local Hotel

Fall 2021 CoHorts

Dinesurf helps diners in Nigeria and across Africa to discover, research and make reservations at restaurants in their city based on real-time data. We also provide restaurants with reservation and guest management tools to help improve their guest experiences, increase ROI and optimize their processes to reduce overhead costs.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Martins Udotai Tells Us about His Startup, Dinesurf.

Dinesurf logo

Hotel+ is a subscription based program where users have unlimited access to select hotels during the day.  Members can book hotel rooms for 6 hours and benefit from unlimited access to hotel amenities like gyms, business centers and gain discounts in room rates and the hotel restaurant. Forget long waits at coffee shops and lounges at airports.  Instead users can book hotel rooms to have a place to rest, work, eat at your favourite restaurant, and work a sweat at the gym.

Hotel+ is one of the finalists in the HI Hub Incubator Program. Bernardo Zorrilla, founder, tells us more about the business.

Hotel+ logo

Autonomous micro-retail for ramen - reinventing authentic gourmet ramen dining. All delivered within 45 seconds.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Daniel Liu Tells Us about His Startup, Kenta Ramen.

winner
Kenta Ramen logo

Our Vintage Earth creates and curates experiences for the environmentally nostalgic, with a goal of reviving cultures and the natural environment. Our clients will be able to book ethical ecotourism, gastro-tourism, agro-tourism, and arts and cultural excursions through our website. Each purchase will help implement technology and processes to benefit the ecosystem and communities involved in the project. Through education, regenerative practices, and community-based activities, we are creating a tourism space that will benefit our planet.

Our Vintage Earth is one of the finalists in the HI Hub Incubator Program. Yasmin Yusuff, founder, tells us more about the business.

Our Vintage Earth logo

Swagger is a new sports prediction platform with a unique, points-based format that empowers all sports fans, regardless of skill level and experience, to predict live sports outcomes with confidence in their ability to win based simply on their love of sports. Currently, Swagger is in-market with a free-to-play sports prediction game, featuring sports memorabilia prizes, that's an ideal fan engagement platform. Shortly, we will be launching a real-money Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) game that provides sports fans with a fun, low-risk, and friendly way to engage with their favorite sports.  It is estimated that the DFS and the legal sports wagering markets will be $140B by 2025.

HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Ranel Castro Tells Us about His Startup, Swagger Gaming, Inc.

Swagger logo

Urban|Safe’s mission starts with sustainability. In a world where environmental concerns are gaining an increasingly critical importance, making tourism sustainable has become one of the most critical goals for the hospitality industry. With that in mind, Urban|Safe aims to make shared-ride bike transportation a more viable option both for visitors and locals who also travel as tourists. In doing so, Urban|Safe focuses on one of the bottlenecks in using these services: the risk associated with riding a bike on the road and the high cost or lack of insurance coverage for minor injuries resulting from bicycle accidents. Since shared-ride bikes are becoming more popular among visitors, by mitigating the perception of risk through minor injury protection at an extremely affordable cost, Urban|Safe removes a mental roadblock for potential users and increases the attractiveness of a destination wherever it is available.

Urban|Safe is one of the finalists in the HI Hub Incubator Program. Founders Anjie "Jeff" Dong, Alp Ozaman, and Burkay Alpyildiztells us more about the business.

Urban Safe logo

Upcoming Events

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October 2-December 16, 2024

Fall 2024 Incubator Information Sessions

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY

Past Events

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May 2-4, 2024

Tulsa Pitch Competition and Innovation Showcase

Tulsa, Oklahoma All-Day
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October 2-December 16, 2024

Fall 2024 Incubator Information Sessions

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY
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October 11-December 6, 2023

Fall 2023 Incubator Information Sessions

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY
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October 18-25, 2023

TravelTechLab: Design Thinking Idea Hackathon

Room 321, 3rd Floor, 7E 12th Street
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October 18, 2023

Master Class - Fall 2023

7 East 12th Street, 5th Floor Lounge, New York, NY
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February 27-May 8, 2023

Incubator Information Sessions

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY and/or via Zoom
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April 25, 2023

Master Class - Spring 2023

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY and/or via Zoom
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April 11-18, 2023

The 4TH Idea: Design Thinking Idea Hackathon

Room 321, 3rd Floor, 7E 12th Street
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April 17, 2023

Make It In America Strategy Workshop

HI Hub, 7th Floor, 7E 12th Street
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December 20, 2022

Pitch Day - December 2022

Hybrid - Via Zoom or in-person at HI HUB 7 E. 12th Street, 7th floor
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November 1, 2022

Master Class: 2022

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY and/or via Zoom
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May 17, 2022

Pitch Day 2022

Zoom Meeting and HI HUB
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April 28, 2022

Playbook to start and scale a start up

Zoom
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March 10, 2022

Hospitality Industry and the Metaverse

Zoom
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December 16, 2021

Pitch Day

Zoom Meeting
alumni
November 30, 2021

Virtual Round Table Conversation - Mr. Tariq Farid , Founder & CEO of Edible Brands - Moderated by Dr. Richie Karaburun

Online Via Zoom
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October 5, 2021

Master Class

HI HUB Incubator at 7 E12th Street, NY and/or via Zoom

Sign up to become an incubator member:

Application: Please carefully read the questions in the APPLICATION FORM before filling in your answers. You can start your application now, and return (on this computer/browser) to complete it later. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee. A maximum of five teams will ultimately be invited to participate in the program.

Application Due Date: October 6, 2024, 11:59 pm - Put a reminder in your calendar now!

Contact Us

NYU School of Professional Studies
Jonathan M. Tisch Center of  Hospitality

7 East 12th Street, Suite 723 C
New York, New York 10003

Email: HIHubIncubator@nyu.edu

Richie Karaburun

Recep "Richie" Karaburun, DPS  - aka "Dr. K"
Clinical Associate Professor
Director, HI Hub Innovation Center Incubator Program

Location Name:
Innovation Hub

Location Address:
7 E 12th Street, New York

Location Phone Number:
(212)-998-9100

Incubator Highlights

November 29, 2023
Hazelicious Interview
November 29, 2023
Starship Interview
November 29, 2023
Hinoki: Visionary hospitality property financing for independent entrepreneuers.
November 29, 2023
Mova Interview
November 29, 2023
HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Rizal Adhari Tells Us About His Startup, Sobat Bolang
November 7, 2023
JetBlue Ventures MasterClass
November 29, 2023
Hazelicious Interview
November 29, 2023
Starship Interview
November 29, 2023
Hinoki: Visionary hospitality property financing for independent entrepreneuers.
November 29, 2023
Mova Interview
November 29, 2023
HI Hub Incubator Program Finalist Rizal Adhari Tells Us About His Startup, Sobat Bolang
November 7, 2023
JetBlue Ventures MasterClass