Like most of us, Gbenga Adeyemi was tired of trying to find airport parking. During his previous travels, he spent too much time wandering around offsite facilities or spent a lot of money to park closer at specific airport garages.
But instead of just complaining about the painful parking experience, Adeyemi decided to do something about it.
He recently launched Varkn to help others improve the process of getting in and out of the airport. As the name suggests, the platform is an affordable, on-demand combined valet and parking option designed specifically for airports.
After putting in their flight information, a traveler is matched with a driver who is in charge of receiving and returning their car directly at the terminal. The platform keeps track of any delays or cancellations that might occur to ensure a car arrives right on time once a traveler lands.
To date, most of Varkn’s customers have been families that need a little extra time travel or business consultants in a rush to catch a flight. “Especially when you have kids, it is difficult to take shuttle buses with baggage and strollers,” added Adeyemi.
The ultimate goal, Adeyemi said, is to build out an Uber-like mobile app for busy travel customers and become a “valet-as-a-service” platform across hospitality, travel, and restaurant industries. That can be particularly beneficial for valet drivers that rely on tips and from each customer.
Taking Off In Atlanta
Adeyemi previously lived in Delaware, where he worked at the University of Delaware and launched his first startup in the wearable technology space.
He moved South after being selected for Techstars Atlanta’s 2022 cohort.“I needed the right mentorship. I needed funding. And I needed connections,” Adeyemi said when asked about why joining Techstars was an important move for Varkn.
He said going through the Techstars program helped him better understand his MVP (minimum viable product) and what it takes to do an original customer trial.
The team is currently operating at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport for jetsetters traveling in 2023.
Those who want to learn more about Adeyemi’s business plan can rewatch his recent Techstars Atlanta pitch here:
Atlanta’s TravelTech Scene
It’s no surprise Atlanta boasts several emerging startups in the travel sector. Hartsfield continues to be the busiest airport in the world and plays host to 275,000 passengers each day.
Alongside Varkn, startups working inside and near the Atlanta airport include Travelsist (a gig-based app for assisting travelers inside terminals), UnDelay (a flight disruption analysis platform), and Rush The Line (think an Uber Eats option delivered right to your gate).
