– UK, London – Fly Victor, the leading online marketplace for private jet charters and per seat bookings, announces that it has successfully raised in excess of £5 million in an over-subscribed, series A fundraise.
Highlights
- Over £5m successfully raised in over-subscribed, series A fundraise;
- Proceeds invested in Victor’s supporting technology, to grow into new markets such as Russia and the U.S. and new personnel;
• Key investors included: Clive Jackson (Founder & CEO), Tim Richards (CEO and founder of Vue Entertainment), Andrew Pisker, co-founder of Richmond Park Partners, who has joined the Board, HNWIs and other leading entrepreneurs;
• New website to be launched shortly with even better functionality, to also be followed in Q1 2014 by a mobile version of the site and a dedicated app;
- Victor has recorded 300% growth in bookings over the last 12 months; and
- Victor’s unique business model disrupts and brings transparency to a largely unregulated industry. It offers private jet operators and owners with a channel to market and consumers with a trusted brand, transparency and value for money
“Victor’s business model is unique in that it is disruptive and brings transparency to a largely unregulated industry. Cutting out the middle man in private jet travel, our online market place gives customers access to a high-tech, user-friendly platform where they can quickly compare quotes and choose suppliers before committing to their private jet journeys. Fees are both transparent and competitive. It’s a model we know that works; the vast majority of customers book and pay online and are repeat users of Victor, testament to the quality of our service and the unique place that we occupy in the market.”
Victor has already seen impressive growth of 300% in jet charter bookings over the past twelve months, 64% from bookers in the UK and 36% from outside the UK.
Victor aims to make it an easy as possible for consumers to access their transparent online platform via as many channels as possible. Victor has also launched a new and improved website with enhanced functionality. This will be followed in Q1 2014 by a new mobile version of the website and a full ‘app’.
Victor is also being advised by George Berkowski, formerly Head of Product for HAILO, one of London’s fastest growing start-ups. George will help refresh Victor’s product offering, on web and mobile.
The company is led by Clive Jackson, a serial entrepreneur with over twenty years’ experience in technology, aviation and media. In 1993, Clive founded one of the UK’s first digital agencies, Global Beach who provide award-winning design and build web services to leading companies such as Bentley Motors and Sony.
The success of the fundraising has also enabled Victor to invest further in personnel, including recent appointments to the Board: Alexis Grabar and Steffen Fries.
Alexis joins as a Senior Vice President with a focus on Russia, CIS and Francophone territories. Alexis was formerly Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Marquis Jet and Netjets in London.
Steffen also joins as a Senior Vice President leading the Sales and Operations team. Steffen was previously SVP at Netjets Europe and CEO at DC Aviation (formerly known as Daimler Chrysler Aviation). Steffen is also tasked with growing Victor’s footprint in Central Europe, with a mission to open the company’s first office in Germany in 2014.
About Victor
• Founded by serial entrepreneur Clive Jackson and launched in 2011, Victor finds you the best prices for private jet charters. Membership is free and there are no upfront costs or hidden charges;
• Victor brings unprecedented transparency to the industry by connecting you directly to aircraft operators. Victor quotes are unique as they are all-inclusive of a fixed margin and allow you compare and make your choice based on named operators, real floor plans and images of the actual aircraft before booking;
• Victor has an industry-leading flight management team to support your end-to-end travel planning and jet charter customer service requirements and offers its members trust and security through an HSBC Client Deposit account. Victor also enables travel agents to create bespoke luxury travel packages and organise cost-effective corporate group travel;
• Victor has contracted over 110 operators across the world with access to over 600 aircraft. Members can book jet charters to and from almost anywhere in the world;
• Victor only works with operators that can offer members the highest standards of safety, security and service. The brand has developed its luxury identity through strategic partnerships with the world’s leading luxury brands such as the Orient Express Group, Burgess Yachts and Lamborghini;
• Victor currently has in excess of 4,500 members; all of whom are high-net-worth individuals with international lives; the who’s who of the entrepreneurial world, business owners, CEOs and Captains of Industry
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