Expedia Affiliate Network, alongside sister-brand Hotels.com, is the latest travel company to launch an accelerator programme.

Hotel Jumpstart, as the initiative is called, will provide startups with mentoring, technology such as APIs, and workspace to help them grow their businesses.

The scheme is being run with London’s Traveltech Lab, the incubator for early stage technology businesses and the Trampery, which creates spaces to foster creativity.

According to a statement, EAN and Hotels.com want to transfer some of the ‘test and learn’ approach to startups as well as learn from them in return.

The scheme aims to recruit five startups and is open to early to mid-stage travel technology companies in Europe which have a focus on accommodation.

Hotel Jumpstart will run for six months making it longer than similar programmes launched by travel companies in recent months.

Marriott TestBed, for example, now in its second year is a 10-week programme while Travelport Labs is a four-month programme.

As part of the initiative Hotel Jumpstart will also workshops covering areas including sales and marketing, strategy and machine learning.

The six month-scheme will culminate with startups presenting their business to a panel of industry judges while the overall winner will receive $10,000 in Hotels.com vouchers to be put towards business travel expenses.

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