Elevator Pitch: Airport monitoring with CheckTheQ

What’s not to love about less hassle at the airport?

CheckTheQ is a monitoring system that delivers real-time information on wait times at airport security to airport operations, enabling them to manage and respond to traffic fluctuations quickly.

The startup was co-founded by Martin Locklear, CIO, and three WashU students who met in Olin’s Hatchery course: Colton Calandrella (BSBA ’17), Adam Hoffman (AB ’17), and Stephanie Mertz (BSCS/BSAS ’17). Calandrella had the original idea to use software to monitor airport security lines, and the engineering cofounders conceived and developed the software to deliver real-time information on crowd movement.

“Every traveler has felt their stomach drop when they walk into an airport and see a security line that seems to stretch for miles. But it turns out that long lines are not just a problem for travelers. They also cost airports millions of dollars every year, since we travelers choose not to fly whenever we can avoid it because the security experience is so abysmal. And when we do fly, too much of our airport time is spent in security instead of at concessions or near our gates. We’re CheckTheQ, a technology company that empowers airports to keep lines short and travelers informed. Because we believe that when lines are short, everybody wins.”

CheckTheQ’s first in-airport trial installation took place this summer, and it was a finalist in the most recent Arch Grants competition. Check out the video above to learn more about the group’s innovative idea.

#OlinKudos, CheckTheQ!