92. Snaptrip

Founders: Matt Fox and Dan Harrison
Founded: December 2013 (launched May 2014)
Website: www.snaptrip.com

After identifying that one of the biggest problems for holiday let owners is “empty weeks in their calendar”, founders Matt Fox and Dan Harrison (both with backgrounds in the travel industry) realised that the UK’s self-catering holiday market was in need of its own lastminute.com.

Launching a year ago on the back of £35,000 from venture capital group Forward Partners, the business, which claims to be the only last minute holiday deal site of its kind, has used the finance to secure numerous property owner and agency partnerships, and to create its easy-to-use website. The online platform gives signed-up users access to flash deals and offers travel inspiration though useful categories such as ‘pet friendly,’ ‘beach’ and ‘popular destinations’ – all of which makes the process of booking a trip away more convenient and tempting.

By appealing to property owners plagued by seasonal gaps and holidaymakers struggling to find an accessible and inexpensive way to book a self-catering location, the tech start-up is gathering attention from investors (the business has since raised £700,000) and the media, featuring in The Sunday Times and The Independent. After an impressive first year, the holiday broker has big plans for the next 12 months with aggressive growth targets in place as well as product and market expansion.