Aurium, a start-up software company based in Dublin, has raised almost €1 million in funding from Enterprise Ireland, HotOrigin and private investors, writes Jamie Smyth
The firm, which was founded at Trinity College, Dublin, develops software that enables travel firms and airlines to intelligently manage bookings with customers.
Its software can automatically book travel and hotels for a person if he/she supplies the time and location for a business meeting, says Aurium co-founder Dr Simon Dobson, a former assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at Trinity.
"We can change the way people deal with travel companies, so that if something changes suddenly such as a flight being cancelled, the software will automatically change your itinerary," he says.
The system works by linking customer relationship management software, database and booking systems to enable services to be delivered automatically to a mobile consumer.
If a consumer is delayed or misses a flight, the system will automatically reschedule and advise the person, as well as the airline, hotel or assistant by email, text or by telephone.
Aurium's product is called En Route and is designed to reduce the reliance on 24-hour operator and call centre resources, boost staff efficiency and reduce costs for travel firms and airlines, while offering better customer service.
"We are targeting airlines and travel firms for sales of the product," says Dr Dobson, who has taken a career break to pursue the business opportunity at Aurium.
The firm recently hired a sales manager from Dublin-based customer relationship management firm Norkom and has signed a business partnership with a travel firm and technology partnerships with several other companies.
The co-founders of Aurium include Mr Richard Greenan, who formerly worked with the Computer Robotics group at Trinity College, and Prof Paddy Nixon, who currently holds the chair of computer science at Strathclyde University, but who worked previously with Trinity College.
The total amount of cash raised by the firm to date is €730,000.
The early stage venture capital investor HotOrigin and Enterprise Ireland have invested the bulk of this cash throughout 2002.
