PriceSensitive

Loop Insights (TSXV:MTRX) new partnership hopes to establish COVID-safe travelling through “travel bubble”

Technology
CNQ:CBDT
09 December 2020 15:51 (EDT)

Loop Insights (MTRX) has partnered with an aviation marketing firm to promote safe travel during the pandemic through Loop’s app-based technology.

The Vancouver-based artificial intelligence data company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SimpliFlying to work with its clients in the airline, cruise ship and hotel industry to re-establish travel during this time.

Loop Insights CEO Rob Anson said SimpliFlying contacted the company after seeing the success it had in the U.S. with its venue bubbles during the NCAA basketball championships.

The venue bubble provided a complete venue management platform with vaccination results, travel insurance and contact tracing information all located on a user’s phone.

The venue bubble app used at the NCAA tournament in Las Vegas.

During the NCAA tournament, the company recorded a 100 per cent success rate with its venue bubbles, which translated into a COVID-19 free environment. Anson said the travel bubble will mirror the venue bubble but will have additional features such as a boarding pass and, as the vaccine rolls out, proof of certification and validation of vaccination.

“The key with our platform is we’ve integrated all facets of safety and obviously when it comes to travel – having pre-tests, testing while [users] are on site to eliminate the need for this 14-day quarantine is the challenge everyone is trying to solve,” he said.

The Canadian government has still not budged over the mandatory 14-day quarantine rule. Upon entering Canada, anyone travelling from an international destination must quarantine for two weeks.

It’s a rule that has decimated the travel industry and one that companies like Loop Insights are trying to provide alternative solutions to. Anson said with the travel bubble app, users will check-in to their flight and have all of their travel-related excursions (rental cars, payments etc.) built into the pass.

“It’s just something where the challenge is tying data from testing to individual and then applying that to access and entry, and that’s where I saw this as we built this out many, many months ago now,” he said.

“Those are the key problems that we solved. How do you offer a seamless experience for the user and a holistic approach and view from a top down integrated solution,” he added.

With this partnership, Loop Insights is also working with Empower Clinics, a telemedicine platform creating testing solutions. Empower Chairman and CEO Steven McAuley said the three companies working together is what is needed to get the economy open again.

Anson said Loop has a handful of Caribbean counties and tourism boards they’re currently working with and hinted that conversations with Canadian aviation companies are occurring.

“I think it’s just important that the private sector is leading the charge. The government is way behind once again,” he said.

Loop Insights (MTRX) is currently down 30.00 per cent at C$1.96 per share at 2.21 pm EST.

Related News