Navi Singh has built an impressive platform, capable of almost anything prominent travel websites can do.
That includes booking flights, car rentals and hotels. EzParkSleep also gives users its own unique twist: letting them book parking around the airport.
Now he just needs to get the word out.
“This is a perfect tool for Canadian travelers who want to fly out of an American airport,” Singh said. “It’s based on my experience working at a hotel near the (Buffalo Niagara International Airport). We used to sell a lot of airport parking to Canadians from Toronto.”
Singh said a number of friends, families and associates have used EzParkSleep to organize trips, saying the interface and functionality is on par with Expedia and Priceline.
The problem is he finalized the tech and introduced his startup in 2020, a historically terrible time for the travel industry.
Now he’s considering ways to boost the traffic on his website, including partnerships with hotels and taking outside investment.
“People are going to start traveling again,” he said. “And online companies are changing the travel game.”
Impellent Ventures adds famed hip-hop artist as general partner
Rochester-based Impellent Ventures has made a mark in Buffalo with investments in companies such as 3AM Innovations, Kickfurther and Ognomy.
The firm, led by investors David Brown and Philip Beauregard, recently appointed a noted hip-hop artist to become a member of its team.
[Dave Brown on why his fund backed Kickfurther]
Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, co-founder of the Roots, has been appointed general partner of Impellent’s fund.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the industry and looking for new ways to invest and diversify my portfolio,” Trotter said. “I also get to see a lot of investment opportunities before anyone else does because of what my brand means to founders. The combination of these elements made it natural to align with Impellent Ventures.”
Chloe Capital gets boost from Bank of America
Chloe Capital got a boost recently from Bank of America, which invested in its fund.
Chloe Capital — a seed stage venture capital firm with partners based in Ithaca and the Albany region — invests in high-growth, women-led startups. It recently invested in its first Buffalo-based company: ShearShare.
[Inside ShearShare's investment thesis]
Bank of America recently dedicated $350 million to women and minority-led companies.
Chloe Capital debuted in 2017. In a recent regulatory filing, the firm announced it has raised $8.6 million in new investment for its fund.
