How I Got Here, episode 2 - Aaron Gowell of SilverRail Technologies

SilverRail Technologies was created with a vision to bring the same level of distribution technology to train bookings as had been seen in aviation decades before.

Essentially, a global distribution system for rail.

This is how the business started out in 2008 but it expanded physically (with offices dotted around the world) and strategically over time.

Like many other travel startups, it had a consumer-facing play in the shape of Quno but this was discontinued within a few years.

The company raised, some would say, a modest $69 million over the course of four rounds, in a bid to push its rail ticketing and train operator distribution platform.

It later went on to secure a number of deals with online travel agencies to power their rail booking platforms - one being Expedia which, in 2017, took the company under its wing.

Aaron Gowell, one of its co-founders, is an outspoken and realistic CEO who knows the challenges of any business trying to tackle the complex world of rail technology.

In this episode of the podcast, Gowell covers everything from his career in the military, swapping ideas with the CEO of SilverRail's eventual owner, when and when not to raise money, rejections from investors and lots more.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

It's hosted by our editor in chief Kevin May and Mozio co-founder and CEO David Litwak.

A full transcript and additional analysis in 5+ languages is available on Mozio.com/move. 

You can also tune in via this version from PhocusWire's YouTube channel: