ARMIDALE man Raymond Siems is about to make his mark on the international travel industry with the global launch of his app this weekend.
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The former Duval High School student came up with the idea for Ventoura, an app that connects travellers with locals to share their knowledge and uncover the area’s best kept secrets.
A spokesman for Ventoura said the global launch aimed to get as many active users as possible in preparation for the European summer travel season.
Mr Siems planned to complete his masters in sustainable engineering at Cambridge University but was prevented by illness.
While he was in the hospital Mr Siems came up with the idea for the project. He contacted his old school friend Evan Martin and the two set about marketing and organising the app.
The project really took off though when they received backing from a still anonymous Finland backer. Now Mr Siems is a 23-year-old chief executive of his own company with 12 employees, 10 of whom are full-time.
Mr Siems says his company isn’t what he’d call a “success” but said he’s had a lot of fun along the way.
He is now living and working
in Finland.
Mr Siem’s parents, Geoff and Lorn, still live in Armidale and said they were very excited about the launch.