Proof of Usefulness Report

Hopper

Analysis completed on 1/23/2026

+793
Proof of Usefulness Score
Unicorn Utility

The project 'Hopper' is a verified, market-leading travel fintech unicorn with a valuation exceeding $5B and over 100M verifiable downloads, far surpassing the submitted '25 million' claim. The project demonstrates exceptional Real-World Utility and Traction. However, the submission itself is of low quality ('ShadowForge' alias, numeric email, lazy 'most people' traction claim, outdated description), which significantly impacts the Response Quality score. Despite the poor submission effort, the objective scale and success of the underlying technology mandate a high score in the 700+ range, calibrated for verified large-scale enterprises.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+230
Audience Reach Impact+190
Technical Innovation+127.5
Evidence Of Traction+190
Market Timing Relevance+90
Functional Completeness+7.5
Subtotal+835
Usefulness Multiplierx0.95
Final Score+793

Project Details

Project URL
hopper.com
Description
Hopper is the smart way to book travel on your phone. Combining massive amounts of data and advanced machine learning algorithms, Hopper predicts and analyzes airfare and accommodation to save users money and enable them to travel more often.\n\nSince its launch in 2015, Hopper has become one of the fastest growing travel apps ever with over 25 million installs to date. It is now the most downloaded flights booking app in North America and travelers have booked hundreds of millions of dollars in flights and hotels around the world using Hopper.\n\nThe app has received accolades such as Fast Company’s Most Innovative Company in Travel 2018, the Google Play Award for Standout Startup of 2016, and Apple’s App Store Best of 2015.\n\nBut this is just the beginning. Learn more: http://www.hopper.com/

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline