2018 was a big
year for Hopper. The app-only price prediction and booking platform picked up
$100 million in Series D funding in October and rolled out its hotel service to
more than 40 markets.
But according
to CEO Fred Lalonde, 2019 will be even busier.
Fueled by that major injection
of capital, Hopper is setting its sites on becoming a global mobile brand.
In an
interview in the PhocusWire studio at the Phocuswright Conference in Los Angeles,
Lalonde shared how Hopper is working to build its international business to be
50% of all sales by the end of next year, expanding its global hotel portfolio,
adding alternative accommodations and developing offerings for corporate travel.
He also
offered his thoughts on the impact of IATA’s New Distribution Capability, the
value of artificial intelligence, how Hopper’s decision to go mobile-only is
paying off and why entrepreneurs should, "skate to where the puck is going."
PhocusWire @ Phocuswright 2018 - Hopper on growth plans and the impact of NDC