FlyMuch Takes Off with Funding and a Tech Team

Brian Zuercher and Jim Kamnikar met through TechLife and interestingly, tech is now their life. After 20 months of research, relationship building and business planning, they are moving full speed ahead on product development for their web-based travel innovation company, FlyMuch.

FlyMuch is a web and mobile App that will provide personalized information delivered while the consumer is surfing for travel options--including what's happening at the destination on the dates they are traveling, how to save money on their flight and hotel, and polling other travelers for their recommendations using social media.

Brian, a web-savvy entrepreneur and avid traveler proposed turning the pain of travel planning into a product solution with partner Jim Kamnikar, an experienced e-commerce entrepreneur who had already developed and sold a successful business.

Together they spent nearly two years researching online consumer travel behavior, learning about the travel industry, traveling to Seattle developing relationships with industry experts, connecting with travel enthusiasts through LinkedIn, building their boards of directors and advisers and preparing a presentation for the PhocusWright travel conference last November.

“You really have to be fearless in reaching out to people,” said Kamnikar. “Even though Brian and I both had success in business development, the challenge was convincing people we could deliver a technical travel innovation when our background is not technical or travel related.”

In addition to the steep ramp-up, they also needed funding to take their alpha product to the beta level.

“We were rejected twice for pre-seed funding and also rejected for a TechGenesis grant. After bootstrapping and funding our own alpha, we went for it a fourth time and the Ohio Tech Angels Fund (OTAF) approved funding for us,” said Kamnikar. “When it comes to starting a business, you have to will it into existence.”

They recently hired their tech team and product development is full speed ahead. They continue to connect with the travel marketplace to monitor consumer travel behavior for booking and sharing travel plans. A private Beta will be available in the next few months.