For Dr Michael Cameron, the idea for Rome2rio came while traveling across Europe and Asia with his wife in 2009, after three years working at Microsoft in the US.

The Frustrating Search

Attempting to find a way from Budapest to Antwerp, Cameron disappointingly only found flight options. "European travel conjures up images of trains and buses, or ferries connecting Greek islands," he says. "But they proved difficult to search for. It made me think – there has to be another way."

The idea for Rome2rio began to crystallise – a search engine that considers all options, including trains, buses, ferries and car hire.

Building from the Living Room

Back in Melbourne, and with Bernie Tschirren – who had also recently returned from Microsoft – on board, the aim was to build a startup that emulated what they had learned in the US. They began work on the product in September 2010 from Cameron's parents' living room.

They won the Melbourne Azure Bizspark Camp Award in February 2011, and the beta version launched on April 7, 2011.

The Cockroach Philosophy

Cameron advocates for being a "cockroach" rather than a "unicorn" – sustainable startups that survive and thrive rather than burning bright and flaming out. This philosophy guided Rome2rio's growth.

They built a unique repository of train, bus, ferry and air routes across the globe. Users could discover how to get to any city, town, or landmark - Rome2rio would show several alternative routes by air, rail, bus, boat and car.

Growing to 10M+ Monthly Visitors

It worked, and Rome2rio grew. Receiving more than 10 million unique monthly visitors, it became one of the world's leading travel-planning sites.

In late 2019, they sold the business to Omio, a leading European travel-booking platform. The Melbourne-based startup was acquired for approximately $40 million.

"We are both software engineers and passionate about building a great product, which we felt we had done," Cameron says. "Growing a business becomes a different beast; you need a different skill set than the one you start out with."