In 2023 BagID became a part of the Aena Ventures Accelerator Program by winning the category “Airport efficiency”. This week we finally kicked off a two-year contract with Aena – the world’s largest airport operator by number of passengers. The contract has a value up to EUR 1,75M. What recognition of our solutions and vision for the future!
How it all started
It was at the edge of summer in 2023 – rainclouds hanging heavily over Ålesund, and the city was filled with cruise tourists and the smell of fishing boats. Ina, our CEO, had just come across an accelerator program she thought BagID should apply for. We didn’t know it then, but the path we were stepping onto was only the beginning of a journey that would open opportunities we had never thought were possible.
At BagID, we’re used to Ina’s many initiatives and her drive to move the company forward at a pace you rarely see. As summer faded into autumn, a message arrived telling us we had made it to the next round – filling our small office with curiosity and excitement. We didn’t know exactly what lay ahead, but we were more than ready to dive in.
Over 500 applicants from 42 countries. Five categories. BagID was selected along with four other companies – all aiming for an opportunity to test their concepts on a larger scale at Aena’s airports. Our pitch took us all the way to the top in the “Airport Efficiency” category, and over the next six months, we worked tirelessly to prove that our ideas deserved a long-term collaboration with Aena. We worked together with a great team of mentors from Aena, ensuring that our solution was addressing and accelerating their strategic ambitions as well as our business.
Demo Day: A defining moment for BagID
To test our hypotheses and gather real-life user feedback, we recruited over a hundred passengers traveling through the airports located in Gran Canaria, Barcelona, Alicante and Málaga.
The pilot results were promising, providing valuable insights to present to the top management at Aena. With strong support and input from our team at Aena Ventures, we were able to deliver a solid and convincing business case on Demo Day, April 26th, 2024.
After six months of hard work for a start-up with limited resources, the presentation on Demo Day marked both the end of an intense period and possibly the beginning of something much bigger. We decided – after one too many sangrias – that the “D-day” had earned a permanent place in BagID’s calendar.
Securing the Aena contract
After months of waiting impatiently for the results, good news arrived: Aena wanted to offer us a contract worth up to €1,75 million to implement and test our concept at selected airports in Spain.
We have been working on the details and finalizing the contract – and we can now finally share the news that the contract has been signed and set in motion!
"This project stems from our commitment to improving the operational efficiency of our airports through enhanced baggage tracking and monitoring. Our Aena Ventures Program enables us to connect with start-ups like BagID, whose innovative vision is key to driving progress in our sector."
Álvaro Ríos Álvarez - Engineer of Applied Innovation, Aena.
Delivering on our business case
BagID, together with Aena, will create a collaborative platform and baggage tracking solution to be deployed at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat and Palma de Mallorca Airports.
The EBT is a key piece of the eco system
BagID is known for being one of only two providers of electronic bag tags (EBTs) globally, and the only one offering an EBT that combines both digital baggage check-in and tracking.
Since BagID was founded, the idea behind the EBT has always been something larger. Today, we see how the BagID EBT’s fit perfectly as a key piece of a larger ecosystem to improve airport efficiency. It will still be the product passengers interact with and will replace traditional paper tags, while also playing a vital role in data collection, more efficient baggage handling, and supporting paper-free air travel.
By changing how we handle baggage and digitizing the travel experience with seamless integrations, tracking, and more control given to the passenger, the BagID EBT’s are essential to streamline future airports.
Shaping the future of baggage handling in aviation
People aren’t going to fly less. In fact, the opposite seems true. The SITA IT Baggage Report from 2024 states that the number of air passengers is expected to double by 2040. To keep up with growing passenger – and baggage – volumes, we must find solutions that serve everyone in the ecosystem. We need solutions that offer smoother passenger experiences, increased efficiency and accuracy for airlines and airports, improved airport design for both people and the environment, and tools that make everyone’s job a little easier.
Reports on baggage handling highlight EBTs as a key component in solving many of today’s challenges in aviation. That’s where BagID and our solutions make an entrance. We’re here to build something new – new ways of thinking, new ways of combining data to better predict, allocate resources more efficiently and sustainably, and help both passengers and employees have a better experience.
"We truly believe in our ability to make a difference and contribute to a future where travelling with checked bags will be more stress-free, seamless and sustainable. With the Aena contract we have received both recognition and a great opportunity from the world’s largest airport operator in number of passengers. We are honored and grateful, and ready for take-off."
Ina Eldøy - CEO, BagID.
