2024 Midpoint Roundup
2024 is flying by and we have been reflecting on Transreport’s 2024 achievements.
2023 was a big year for Transreport and our Passenger Assistance technology. We attended lots of events including Naidex, Aviation Business Middle East, The Future of Air Mobility, G7 Summit, and the Passenger Experience Conference. We sponsored the Great Transport Debate and were finalists in the Apple Design Awards. We announced our partnership with Hankyu Corporation, which marked the expansion of our Passenger Assistance technology into Japan.
2023 was a big year for Transreport - 2024 is proving to be even bigger. Let’s explore what this year has looked like so far…
Investment for End-User Impact
Transreport received investment led by Puma Private Equity and Pembroke VCT, for our Passenger Assistance technology.
This investment has accelerated our expansion into the aviation sector, as well as facilitating our establishment in both the Japanese market and the Middle East.
This is an incredibly exciting time for our technology and this funding will help us to connect geographies and transport modes for our end-users.
At Transreport, we believe public transport should be inclusive, and we are committed to dismantling barriers to shape more equitable travel experiences. This investment propels us towards this goal, bringing us closer to democratised public transport and door-to-door travel for all.
![A woman with olive skin is holding a smart phone in two hands. The screen shows the Passenger Assistance app New Journey page with arrival and departure stations, outbound and connection times, and a Find Trains button that is teal on a white background.](/images/blog/2-300x251.png)
Aviation Partnership: Soaring to New Heights of Inclusion with East Midlands Airport
Continuing our expansion into aviation, we announced our partnership with East Midlands Airport.
Winners of the Business Disability Forum’s “Disability Smart Inclusive Customer Service Award”, East Midlands Airport is committed to ensuring accessibility for Disabled and older passengers. Their accessibility initiatives have been recognised by the Civil Aviation Authority.
We are incredibly excited to collaborate with EMA, and for the impact the integration of our Passenger Assistance technology will have on customer experience.
![The background is a blue-tinted photo of a Ryanair Boeing 747 plane from the front, with passengers disembarking the plane by the front stairs on the right, and an ambulift with the central door of the plane on the left. On top of this is a translucent white box with the heading “Aviation Travel: A New Standard” at the top and “-Jay Shen, Transreport CEO & Founder” at the bottom. In the centre is an opaque white box with the text “We are committed to working towards our vision in which everyone can fully enjoy and utilise airport facilities, and to creating a new standard of aviation travel for all.” Black text and frame.](/images/blog/PA%20EMA%20Expansion%20finished.png)
Transreport Takes Flight: Expanding Accessible Travel to the Middle East
We expanded the reach of our Passenger Assistance technology into the Middle East.
![A photo of a white plane flying above golden clouds. The sky above the plane is deep blue and a glowing gold sunrise lights the plane from behind. The bottom half of the image is a black rectangle containing the heading UAE Expansion with the subheading What does it mean for end-users? underneath in white text.](/images/blog/UAE%20Expansion%20-%20what%20it%20means%20for%20end-users.png)
The UAE is a central international travel hub, renowned as a leader in technology and innovation. Its flourishing digital economy exists in tandem with a commitment to sustainability initiatives, demonstrating a tech-driven approach to creating better futures.
This relationship marks a huge milestone for our Passenger Assistance technology, and our mission to create multimodal accessible travel on a global scale.
As we continue to connect journeys and geographies for a unified travel experience, our technology aligns with government initiatives in the UAE to empower Disabled people and foster greater inclusion. We are excited to launch in this key market; with the UAE sharing our vision of equitable travel for all.
Japanese Rail: Fostering International Inclusion
Continuing our partnership with Hankyu Corporation, we launched our Passenger Assistance technology in Japanese rail.
Transreport is the first foreign scale-up company to partner with Hankyu in its 117-year history. Japan’s rail network is a global leader, renowned for its high standards of excellence in customer service.
The launch of our technology in Japan is a huge touchpoint for our technology, and our journey to shape more inclusive travel experiences for Disabled and older people on an international scale.
![Image of Hankyu railway station. Three trains with multiple rail tracks surrounding them. There are buildings in the background.](/images/blog/IMG_2118%20(1).jpeg)
Dr Amy Kavanagh: Chair of Transreport’s Accessibility Panel
Dr Amy Kavanagh became Chair of our Accessibility Panel. Amy is an award-winning disability, consultant, activist and campaigner. She uses social media to share her lived experience navigating the world as a blind Londoner alongside her Guide Dog Ava.
Amy has recently become a mother and believes in the need for greater representation and discussion of disabled parenthood. Amy is committed to celebrating disability, mobility aids and encouraging others to learn about the social model of disability.
To read Amy’s recent blog post, visit the following link: https://tinyurl.com/8ynhn6sx
![Amy with her guide dog Ava, standing on the platform beside a train. Amy has blonde hair and is wearing a dinosaur print dress.](/images/blog/TFA%20Photo%20Library%20-%20Day%201%20(57).jpg)
Events
Our team has attended a wide range of events this year including…
Naidex
Transreport’s very own Accessibility & Inclusion Manager, Emma Partlow, participated in the main stage panel discussion “What makes the perfect accessible getaway?”
Emma discussed her lived experience of travelling with her assistance dog Luna, engaging with the panel on the importance of embedding accessibility in all areas of the travel and transport industries.
You can watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaB6O9XPvvE&t=9s
We also went live from Naidex with some very special guests: Isaac Harvey, MBE, and Nick Wilson, also known as the Disabled Adventurer.
You can watch the full livestream on our Instagram grid by visiting the following link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C40jcUihQHm/
![A photo of the Transreport team with Nick Wilson and Isaac Harvey, in front of the Naidex Village Green sign. From left to right - Emma Partlow, Transreport's Accessibility and Inclusion Manager. Isaac Harvey, MBE, President of Wheels and Wheelchairs. Nick Wilson, also known as the Disabled Adventurer. Linda Truong, Marketing Manager at Transreport. Mary Senier, Social Media and Communications Executive at Transreport.](/images/blog/all%20of%20us.jpg)
Scale to Dubai Trade Mission 2024
We attended Grow London Global’s Scale to Dubai Trade Mission. Dubai has a booming start-up and scale-up culture.
Continuing our collaboration with the Middle East, we were thrilled to meet the people behind some fantastic scale-ups in fintech and sustainability.
Sustainability and accessibility go hand in hand, with initiatives in these areas imperative to future-proof society for everyone.
SusHi Tech
We were thrilled to attend SusHi Tech, the largest startup event in Asia for organisations expanding into Japan. Transreport was part of the British Embassy booth and it was brilliant to celebrate the position of technology in creating social change.
![An East Asian man with dark hair, wearing a grey suit with a white shirt, holds a Passenger Assistance poster with an East Asian woman who has long brown hair, glasses and a grey suit. The poster has a teal heading on a white background Global Accessibility Technology Company. Beneath this is the teal text Our Flagship Solution above the Passenger Assistance logo. To the right on the poster is an image of a smartphone showing the Passenger Assistance app. The man and woman are smiling, standing on a red carpet in front of the SusHi Tech sign which is surrounded by vibrant flowers.](/images/blog/IMG_2304%20(1).jpg)
IATA
It was brilliant to attend International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting. The conference, hosted in Dubai and sponsored by Emirates, brought together 1,500 global aviation representatives to discuss pressing topics in the industry.
Sustainability was high priority. As we continue to expand our Passenger Assistance technology into the Middle East, it was fantastic to spark conversations around the intersection between accessibility and sustainability; and the role innovation plays in future society.
![A photo of Waleed Ahmed, Transreport's COO and Emma Partlow, Transreport's Accessibility and Inclusion Manager standing in front of the IATA and CNBC sign. They are both smiling and wearing red and white lanyards. Waleed has black wavy hair and a beard and is wearing a navy suit with a white shirt. Emma has brown curly hair and glasses and is wearing a black dress.](/images/blog/image%20(6).png)
Science and Innovation Banquet
During London Tech Week, we were invited to attend the Science and Innovation Banquet at Mansion House. Transreport’s COO Waleed Ahmed met Sadiq Khan and it was brilliant to connect on technology’s role in increasing efficiency and empowering businesses globally to provide accessible travel experiences.
![Waleed Ahmed, Transreport COO, and Sadiq Khan. Both are smiling at the camera and shaking hands.](/images/blog/Sadiq.png)
Arabian Travel Market
We attended the leading travel exhibition in the Middle East, the Arabian Travel Market. It was brilliant to experience the shared passion for travel accessibility, and to connect with Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths on how this is being embedded into the design on Dubai’s next generation airport Al Maktoum International.
![Waleed Ahmed, Transreport's COO, with Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO. They are standing together in front of the black and green Global Stage sign and smiling.](/images/blog/Paul%20Griffiths.png)
SelectUSA Trade Mission
It was fantastic to meet with everyone at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, the prestigious event that facilitates business expansion into the US.
The event was the biggest it has been, bringing together over 5,000 representatives from 96 global markets. Waleed connected with Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer to discuss their shared commitment to accessible technology.
![Transreport's COO Waleed Ahmed with Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft's Chief Accessibility Officer. Waleed is wearing a navy suit with a white shirt. Jenny is wearing a cream jacket and pink trousers. They are both smiling.](/images/blog/mircosoft%20CAO.png)
![Waleed Ahmed at Amazon HQ in Seattle.](/images/blog/T-Mobile%20Meeting%20in%20Seattle%20(1).jpg)
![Waleed Ahmed standing with the delegates of the UK tech ecosystem in front of the Welcome to the UK Tech Reception sign at the SelectUSA Investment Summit.](/images/blog/T-Mobile%20Event%20in%20Seattle%202%20(1).jpg)
RISE Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award
Transreport won the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Award at the Railway Industry Association RISE Awards 2024.
This prestigious award recognises a company demonstrating leadership in embedding equality, diversity and inclusion, both company-wide and across the rail industry.
Our Passenger Assistance technology is designed to shape equitable travel experiences for Disabled and older people. Integrated across the rail industry in Great Britain, its purpose is to streamline assistance processes through automation, efficiency, and transparency.
At its core, our technology is about connection and inclusion; and we believe inclusion starts at home. At Transreport, we are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. We are committed to hiring candidates with lived experience expertise, ensuring disabled representation in our senior teams, and cultivating a diverse work culture where everyone is valued and can thrive.
Our motivation is the impact of our technology, with inclusion being the ultimate reward. We are deeply moved by this award and it is brilliant to receive external recognition for our EDI initiatives.
![Emma Partlow, Transreport's Accessibility and Inclusion Manager, and Joseph Mastracci, Transreport's Commercial Manager, stand in front of the RIA Rise Awards 2024 sign on a red carpet. Emma is wearing a black dress and holding her assistance dog Luna on a black lead. Joseph is wearing a suit with a blue tie. They are both smiling.](/images/blog/53827758873_83a4114682_o.jpg)
![Transreport's award held over a patterned carpet. The award is a silver trophy with a black circle containing RIA in silver. RISE Awards 2024 curves around the top of the circle in black font. Railway Industry Association curves around the bottom. On the base of the award is a gold plaque on which is written Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award.](/images/blog/IMG_2870%20(1).jpg)
Looking Ahead
The above is just a snapshot of the year so far.
As we continue to expand Transreport’s presence in the global market, we will continue to strive for our goal of accessible travel for each and every passenger.