Wings Of An Angel

GateGuru arrives on Android, gets its wings with angel funding

On the heals of Hipmunk exciting the travel industry comes more news for the airborne community. GateGuru , an app specifically focused on quality airport experiences, has raised a modest $800k in angel funding and is simultaneously launching their Android app today.

Rejoice, Droid users, you will never be stuck wondering what is beyond the mysterious security line (until you go through it).

GateGuru, which launched in 2009, is one of those apps that collects a little dust until bam! You are traveling and need to know where the nearest Chili’s is. The free app will tell you and, thankfully, does more than enable your poor eating habits.

Consider it a Rick Steves for terminals. In action, the app prompts you to choose your airport via location-based detection. You are then directed to the airport’s page where you can find reviews, tips, checkpoints or further refine your search by selecting a terminal and gate-range (ie: Terminal 1, Gates 20-36). Food options, shopping and services can be found on the individual terminal pages with user generated reviews and tips available per amenity as well.

The laundry list goes on to include itinerary management through partnerships with TripIt and Kayak, wait times, photos and more. If only it could tell you how many seats without a screaming baby or yappy dog are left at your gate.

Chief executive Dan Gellert created GateGuru after years of working as a venture capitalist. His job required frequent travel, and after one too many poor post-security food finds, he decided to relieve the travel headache. Apple also saw the value and included the app in a commercial for the iPhone (see below).

Now, Gellert has turned to angel investors help GateGuru soar (get it?). He targeted angel investors in particular because, “They understand the travel industry and what I am going through. I value their insight.” To that end, Gellert used AngelList , an online community that aims to bring startups and potential investors together. Secured investors in this $800k round include Brad Harrison of BHVentures, Allen Morgan, Chamath Palihapitiya via Embarcadero Ventures, Tom Glocer, VEO of Thomas Reuters, Thomas Lehrman and Matt Daimlet, Founder of SeatGuru.com.

GateGuru’s plans for the funds make it an app to watch. Their goal is three-part: to bring transactions to the app, integrate deeply with airports and (less excitingly) hire staff.

Ever been stuck in security with half an hour until your flight, jonesing for your AM coffee? GateGuru hopes to enable pre-ordering for food pick-up, so you can run to your gate and grab your joe, no hassles. Also in the works are larger purchases like car rentals and cabs.

Recent music heroes: Wings Of An Angel - Satsangs In The Dark (2011)

: Behind this project is Felix Kaplan, a musician from Israel, who presents his antagonism against the truth of gurus, educated specialists, artists and other warts who used to think they are most competent of deciding what must be right or wrong in this world. However, by listening to the current issue, I shall have to admit it continues the profound mysticism-veiled tradition of his previous album . Sung or spoken in Hebrew, English and Russian, it is quite hard to understand should it be the opus in the praise of human being or not. By being and burning in hell is it the ban of him/her or not? The God is dead (is it?). All those mesmerizing verbal outputs are accomplished with the diverse scale of sonic structures (world music, improvised music, New Age, slowly breaking sounds, minimalism etc).

Wings of an Angel

Wings of an Angel

Wings of an Angel

Wings of an Angel

The Wings of an Angel