SXSW Pitch Finalist: Winding Tree
The Forrest Four-Cast: February 27, 2020
Winding Tree has created the world’s first open marketplace for travel.
One of 50 finalists for SXSW Pitch 2020, Winding Tree drives the development of open source protocols for the travel industry, starting with ORG.ID, a global registry of business entities that streamlines access to APIs in an automated and secure way without the need for third parties.
Last summer, Etihad Airways, the United Arab Emirates’ national carrier, joined the many airlines and hotels that have partnered with Switzerland-based Winding Tree to bypass intermediaries using distributed ledger technology. These include Air Canada (AC.TO), Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA), and Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), as well as aviation services company Swissport, and hotels such as Nordic Choice, citizenM Hotel chain, and Airport Hotel Basel.
Winding Tree’s platform allows travel industry businesses like airlines and hotels to publish available inventory to those customers directly, avoiding intermediaries’ fees, which ultimately means lower costs for consumers.
See the pitch in the category of Blockchain Technology, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm Sunday, March 15, before a live audience and a panel of expert judges.
Winners in each of the 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Awards Ceremony, at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 15. SXSW attendees are also invited to Meet the Finalists from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday, March 16. All SXSW Pitch events take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
Pedro Anderson, Winding Tree Founder and COO, how running a startup is like parenting, the words he lives by, and why humility is overrated.
What is your top goal for Winding Tree for 2020?
2020 is a milestone year as we launch groundbreaking new solutions that will radically transform travel commerce.
With the exception of your Winding Tree, what tech trend is your team most excited about?
One of the technologies I’m most excited about is Kleros. They provide a decentralized jury for verification and settling disputes. We use this technology on Winding Tree today and it would very difficult to replace.
If you weren’t working for Winding Tree, what would you be doing?
Kiosks to replace or assist under-trained nurses in remote areas of the developing world, or dumb phones that provide maximum functionality without feeding mass surveillance.
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
It’s a lot like parenting, you can’t check out at 5 pm. You take full responsibility; you’re constantly figuring a lot stuff out without a guidepost or previous example as every startup is different — especially if you’re working with emerging tech.
What motto or quote do you live by?
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten — or given?
The whole of “If” by Kipling, but particularly:
If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
Which living person do you most admire and why?
David Hansson for setting vivid example of work-life balance.
What do you think is the most overrated virtue?
Humility. Real humility is rarely noticed and false humility often praised.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Patience.
What’s your actual super power?
Hunger and hustle.
If you were offered the opportunity to colonize Mars (but with no guarantee that you would ever return to Earth), would you go and why?Yes. Curiosity.
Look for more interviews with other finalists in this space between now and the start of SXSW Pitch on Saturday, March 14. Visit this page to see all previous interviews in this series as well as a list of all finalists.
If you are an entrepreneur, check out the SXSW 2020 Startups Track, which runs March 13–17. This track brings together founders and funders and showcases exciting new companies, products, services, and business models across different verticals and industries.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
