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May 11, 2025

By Iyad Zimmo, QF Alumnus
Co-Founder of Damodi

By Iyad Zimmo, QF Alumnus
Co-Founder of Damodi
How Frustration Sparked the Birth of Damodi
Growing up in Palestine, travel was rarely straightforward. Getting from one place to another meant adapting to a patchwork of buses, shared taxis, and informal routes—an experience that sparked my fascination with how people move and how journeys could be made better. That curiosity led me to engineering, and eventually, to specialize in transport at Imperial College London.

There, my research caught the attention of a professor whose words changed everything: “You’re not just solving equations—you’re reimagining the future of human movement.” That insight became my compass, fueling countless late-night brainstorming sessions with a colleague who shared my vision for transforming the mobility landscape.

But the real turning point came unexpectedly. After finishing my degree, I was invited to an event in Europe—a fantastic opportunity, but also a logistical maze. Planning the trip, I found myself lost in endless searches:

How do I get from the airport to my hotel?
What services do locals use?

Which options are safe, reliable, or even available at odd hours?
Despite all the technology at my fingertips, there was no single place that could answer these questions or adapt to my needs as a traveler. I remember sitting with my friend, who would become my co-founder—both of us engineers, both of us frustrated, piecing together our journey from a mix of apps, websites, and guesswork. His background in sustainability and business strategy perfectly complemented my technical expertise, and together we realized that if we were struggling, millions of others must be too.

That moment of shared frustration was the spark. We realized the world didn’t need another travel app—it needed a platform that could unify, personalize, and simplify the entire travel experience.

That’s how Damodi was born: from real, lived confusion, and the drive to make travel seamless for everyone.

Damodi: The Dropbox for Transport

Damodi is a groundbreaking technology platform that automates business travel while delivering an exceptional, highly tailored user experience. Think of Damodi as your travel on autopilot: one platform where you can book everything—flights, hotels, cars, trains—all tailored to your preferences, with just a click. Often described as the “Dropbox for transport,” Damodi integrates every aspect of the corporate travel experience into one seamless, intelligent interface.

By leveraging advanced automation and behavioral insights, Damodi streamlines workflows across the entire travel journey, covering booking, itinerary management, and optimization. This reduces inefficiencies that can cost companies up to 20% of their business travel budgets, while enhancing convenience and satisfaction for users.
What sets Damodi apart is its distinct integration of technology and behavioral science. By analyzing user preferences and behavioral patterns, the platform provides personalized recommendations that closely match individual needs, effectively bridging the personalization gap present in many traditional travel platforms.
Sustainability is also central to Damodi’s mission. The platform promotes eco-friendly travel options, such as carbon offset programs and responsible tourism initiatives. It also provides organizations with dynamic dashboards that track sustainability metrics and carbon emissions, helping them meet environmental reporting requirements and align with global climate goals, including the Paris Agreement’s 2050 carbon neutrality target.
The Digital
Transformation of Travel
The travel industry is entering a transformative era, powered by groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and automation. These technologies are not just enhancing the travel experience—they are fundamentally redefining it, from how we plan and book to how we move and interact along every step of the journey.

At the heart of this evolution is personalization. AI-driven platforms are now able to recognize and respond to travelers’ unique needs and preferences, delivering experiences that are tailored in real time. In 2025, context-aware systems are going beyond basic personalization—understanding not just who you are and where you’re going, but why, and adjusting recommendations accordingly. Yet, despite this potential, many travel experiences still lack that personal touch. Damodi is built to bridge this gap, using behavioral science and intelligent automation to deliver truly individualized journeys.

Automation is also reshaping every stage of travel—from planning and booking to real-time adjustments and post-trip feedback. Routine activities like hotel check-ins, itinerary changes, and even disruption management are increasingly handled by AI, saving the industry billions and freeing up staff to focus on meaningful customer interactions. Predictive analytics powered by ML are optimizing everything from route planning to fare pricing, helping travelers save on costs and time while increasing operational efficiency for providers.

Together, these innovations are driving tremendous growth across the travel ecosystem. The global smart tourism market is projected to reach $11.2 billion by 2025, fueled by AI, ML, and automation. Business travel alone is expected to surpass $1.64 trillion, as companies seek smarter, more sustainable ways to move their teams and manage costs.

Startups are at the forefront of this revolution, leveraging AI, blockchain, IoT, and other emerging technologies to solve longstanding challenges and create new opportunities for efficiency, personalization, and sustainability. In 2024, travel startups raised a record-breaking $13.1 billion across more than 200 deals, reflecting strong investor confidence in the sector’s potential to disrupt traditional models and unlock new value.
The Middle East: A Smart Travel Hub
The Middle East is rapidly emerging as a global hub for innovation in travel and mobility. Cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi are at the forefront of smart city initiatives, boasting advanced infrastructure and a strong focus on sustainability and digital transformation. The region’s unique challenges—such as extreme temperatures and environmental pressures—have driven the adoption of eco-friendly travel practices and technologies, making it an ideal environment for startups like Damodi to thrive.
Damodi Global Recognition and Growth
Damodi’s innovative approach has earned international recognition, with invitations to pitch in major global hubs such as London, Singapore, New York, San Francisco, and Dubai. We have secured over $100,000 in funding through prestigious grants like Innovate UK, and we are currently raising our seed round, which has already brought in an additional $100,000. We aim to close this round in the coming weeks, fueling our next phase of growth and innovation.
Today, Damodi is supported by a world-class international team of experts in technology, business strategy, and digital transformation, all driven by the mission to reshape the future of corporate travel.
Looking Ahead: Shaping Tomorrow, Together

As CEO—having journeyed from the resourceful streets of Palestine to the forefront of engineering, machine learning, and international consulting—I am living proof that where you start does not define how far you can go. My story fuels my belief that true innovation doesn’t just follow trends; it sets them.

Looking Ahead: Shaping Tomorrow, Together

As CEO—having journeyed from the resourceful streets of Palestine to the forefront of engineering, machine learning, and international consulting—I am living proof that where you start does not define how far you can go. My story fuels my belief that true innovation doesn’t just follow trends; it sets them.

At Damodi, we are not just building a platform—we are building a movement to transform how the world moves.
Our greatest asset is our people. We invest deeply in exceptional talent because we know that bold ideas and real progress come from passionate, ambitious individuals.
But we know that no vision is realized alone. Breakthroughs that change industries occur when brilliant minds and organizations come together. That’s why we are actively seeking partnerships with forward-thinking companies and institutions that share our commitment to smarter, more sustainable mobility. Together, we can redefine what’s possible.
As we accelerate our growth, we’re also opening doors to visionary investors, especially in regions as dynamic as the Middle East, who see the value in shaping a new era for global travel and want to be part of something transformative from the ground up.
Ultimately, my vision is for a world where seamless, sustainable travel is accessible to everyone, no matter where their journey begins.