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isango!

Type	Private
Founded	2006
Headquarters	48-54 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 2NS
Industry	Travel
Products	Tours, excursions and activities
Employees	65 (2008)
Website	www.isango.com

Isango! (officially “isango!”) is an online travel company that specializes in the ecommerce sale of tours, activities and excursions in worldwide locations. The company is based in London and operates on a hybrid consumer and trade business model, distributing its travel experiences via its own consumer website^[1] and via a number of distribution partnerships with travel providers such as Ryanair^[2], Qantas, Accor, Hertz and Yahoo, among several others^[3]. The company has received much attention in the business and venture capitalist world following an $8 million funding round from Spark Ventures and Beringea in March 2008^[4][5].

Background

Isango was founded in November 2006 by entrepreneurs Ranjan Singh and Aseem Sadana. As CEO of the company, Singh was named one of the “Future 500 Business Leaders of the UK,”^[6] in his aim to expand the travel industry niche of “experience-led” travel^[1]. Singh utilizes the process of production offshoring, with an arm of his company operating in Delhi under the supervision of co-founder Sadana^[7].

Controversy and Criticism

While Singh claims that the travel industry is dominated by companies that focus solely on flights, hotels and logistical elements of travel, some journalists and industry specialists have criticized Singh, claiming that pre-planned tours take the spontaneity out of a travel experience^[1].

Competitors

Isango’s primary competitor is the longer established, San Francisco-based company Viator, which provides a similar range and quantity of products^[8].

Awards and Recognition

1. Nominated for Travolution’s Best Online Travel Agent Award in 2007.^[9]
2. Nominated for Travolution’s Newcomer of the Year Award in 2007.^[9]
3. Travel Mole Awards: Nominated for Best Online Travel Agency Site in 2008.^[10]
4. Nominated for Travolution’s Best Online Travel Agent Award in 2008.^[11]
5. The British Travel Awards: Nominated for Best Travel Experience Company.^[12]
6. TTG Travel Awards: Nominated for Travel Company of the Year in 2008.^[13]
7. The Growing Business Awards: Nominated for Young Company of the Year Award in 2008.^[14]

Additional facts

“Isango” is Zulu for Gateway

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/online/article1086503.ece
2. ^ http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2008/06/25/1507/in-resort-services---the-destination-product-gold-rush.html
3. ^ http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2007/11/02/1141/isango-strikes-series-of-major-third-party-deals.html
4. ^ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article3601477.ece
5. ^ http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/03/18/isango-raises-8-million-for-its-travel-experiences/
6. ^ http://www.isango.com/mediasite/PressCoverage_Fortune500.html
7. ^ http://www1.economictimes.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Starting_Up/Customised_Experiences_Isangocom/articleshow/3710375.cms
8. ^ http://tourismtechnology.rezgo.com/2008/03/isango.html
9. ^ ^{a b} http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2007/03/23/797/travolution-awards---shortlist-announced.html
10. ^ http://www.travelmole.com/webawards_uk2008.php
11. ^ http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2008/03/18/1335/travolution-awards-2008-shortlist.html
12. ^ http://www.britishtravelawards.com/index.php
13. ^ http://www.ttglive.com/c/portal/layout?p_l_id=61139&CMPI_SHARED_articleId=1216887&CMPI_SHARED_ImageArticleId=1216887&CMPI_SHARED_articleIdRelated=1216887&CMPI_SHARED_ToolsArticleId=1216887&CMPI_SHARED_CommentArticleId=1216887&articleTitle=The%20TTG%20Travel%20Awards%202008%20winners%20are%20announced!
14. ^ http://gba.realbusiness.co.uk/page/Shortlist

External links

• Official site