A business founded by an Isle of Man entrepreneur while he was still at university has beaten thousands of entries across 11 jurisdictions to win the Santander X Global Challenge – New era of Customer Experience Award.

Harvey Lowe, 21, set up Arcube with fellow student Prithveesh Reddy during his first year at the University of Manchester and together they developed a platform swapping redundant loyalty points after flights into benefits for future flights.

These perks vary from extra baggage to business class check-in, depending on what Arcube’s algorithm thinks you will prefer.

By the time Harvey returned to the Isle of Man for his summer holidays, Arcube had its first customer – Etihad Airways.

Using the Isle of Man Work Café in Douglas as his office, Harvey worked on the business while completing his degree.

Arcube has since attracted $1.5 million in venture capital, is in talks with 60 airlines, and will soon have a global team of eight.

Harvey said: ‘Winning the award is great. It’s a specific award which covers exactly what we do as we are using personalisation and customer loyalty for our whole product.

‘The award is a recognition of our technology and that it has real world applications.

‘I still use the Work Café as my office whenever I’m in the Isle of Man, but it’s more than a free workspace.

‘It’s a supportive environment where you meet other entrepreneurs across all sectors who are brilliant to bounce ideas around with.

‘The Work Café has become an incubator of talent, and it has been invaluable being able to share problems and talk things through with people who understand challenges that are specific to the Isle of Man.’

The Santander X Global Challenge - New era of Customer Experience Award brought together companies from 11 countries, aiming to identify the most innovative solutions that enhance user experience, personalization, omnichannel, on-demand network quality, and anti-fraud security measures.

As well as prizemoney of EUR 10,000, Arcube will also get access to Santander X 100, the exclusive global community of Santander X's most successful start-ups, scale-ups and companies that provide access to free services such as mentoring and connecting with investors.

Arcube plans to use the prizemoney to continue scaling its team and build the product integrations different airlines require for the platform.

Harvey said: ‘The pilot programme with Etihad Airways proved the concept, enhancing passenger satisfaction, increasing average customer spends by more than 10% and boosting revenue by more than $1.6 million.

‘We’re moving to a full-scale programme with Etihad and are in advanced conversations with 16 airlines.

‘It takes a lot longer for major airlines to come on board, but we expect to get moving more quickly with some regional carriers.’

James Geldart, managing director of Santander International, Isle of Man branch said: ‘It is fantastic seeing local entrepreneurs like Harvey use the Work Café as they develop their businesses and go on to receive international recognition for what they have achieved.

‘The Work Café has always aimed to foster a collaborative environment, and we are delighted to support Harvey on his journey and help open new opportunities through the wider Santander network.’