Qatar Airways launched its first flight featuring Elon Musk's Starlink WiFi on Tuesday — and Business Insider was invited to the event.
19.10.2024 - 15:57 / skift.com / Justin Dawes / Sam Altman
Mid September to early October was the most active time period for travel funding of the year: 13 startups raised $600 million, and then another six startups raised $500 million.
The past two weeks have been a bit quieter. Eight travel startups announced fundraises totaling nearly $40 million.
Beacon AI, which is developing AI systems meant to boost the performance airline pilots, has raised $15 million in series A funding.
Costanoa Ventures led the round, with backing from Scout Ventures, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and JetBlue Ventures.
The company has now raised a total of $20 million.
The Silicon Valley-based company is developing AI-powered tools for commercial and defense pilots. The tools are Murdock, an AI-powered pilot assistant meant to help pilots with flight safety, operational efficiency, and live flight support. Its other product in development is Lighthouse, a data platform and flight management system.
“From our start, we’ve had the goal of augmenting pilots with advanced technology that helps them perform their jobs more efficiently and safely,” said Matt Cox, CEO of Beacon AI, in a statement. “Everyone in aviation is under pressure to improve safety, and planes’ flight decks and pilots remain underserved. We are building something I wish I had in my decade as a naval aviator and 20 years as a pilot.”
The company has a full roster of beta clients in 2024 and is opening sign-ups for additional clients in 2025.
The funding will go toward hiring, gaining new clients, and delivering the tech to commercial and defense clients.
Grounded, which outfits camper van interiors with customizable layouts, has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding.
The 81 Collection and Also Capital co-led the round, with support from Side Door Ventures, Tony Lyscio (SpaceX Starlink development manager), and Tristan Walker of Walker & Company.
The Detroit-based company was founded by Sam Shapiro, a former SpaceX engineer.
Grounded has developed a manufacturing system that allows it to quickly outfit the interior of vans and commercial vehicles for dozens of uses. The system includes a growing library of “Lego-like” modules for features like beds, gear storage boxes, indoor showers, smart electronics, and Starlink internet dishes. The company says it reduces outfit times by 90%.
The company has already generated $3 million in vehicle sales. It has initially focused in the camper van market with the G2, its flagship electric RV with a range of more than 270 miles. It plans to expand into mobile medical, mobile dental, pet grooming, logistics, and mobile refrigeration.
The funding will go toward expanding production capabilities, hiring, and entering new markets.
AviLabs, which helps airlines manage flight
Qatar Airways launched its first flight featuring Elon Musk's Starlink WiFi on Tuesday — and Business Insider was invited to the event.
Aircraft manufacturer Natilus wants to build a new type of airliner to rival Airbus and Boeing as the industry demands more efficient planes.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sara van Geloven, freelance editor and project manager. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Here at TPG, we love our transferable credit card points. You can use them to book award travel with various airline and hotel partners, even if you're not loyal to said airlines and hotels. For instance, I once transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt and redeemed them for a weeklong stay in Hawaii — even though I'd never set foot in a Hyatt.
It’s a season of savings for travelers seeking flight deals.Spirit Airlines has dozens of flight deals with one-way fares under $50 to popular destinations including Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, and more. The lowest price spotted in the promotion was just $11, for a flight from Las Vegas, NV to Sacramento, CA. The airline also has a variety of $20 flights including Dallas, TX to Atlanta, or Los Angeles (LAX) to Las Vegas. The deals are listed on the “Popular Flight Deals” within Spirit’s website.
I've seen my fair share of high-end interior spaces.
David Bowie once said: "The only art I'll ever study is stuff that I can steal from."
In the valley below the Teton mountain range, some of the wealthiest people in America kick back on their terraces and look out at a vast mountain landscape where mansions are hidden in the towering evergreen trees.
“As far back as I can remember, I knew I was different,” says Alexander Smalls. Growing up in a Gullah Geechee household in Spartanburg, North Carolina, the chef says he recognized the implication of those differences—in appearance, history, and cuisine. “I discovered early that my friends did not eat any of the foods that I ate. My foods were more akin to West Africa, you know, and very much pronounced in that way,” he says. It wan't until he moved to New York as an adult, that he assimilated the value of that diasporic connective tissue. “Food was a big part of cultural expression and identity of the African diaspora,” he says.
Oct 17, 2024 • 5 min read
“In Corpus Christi, it’s the beaches, then everything else,” my shuttle driver Angela shouted over the roar of the highway as we hurriedly made our way downtown. That might be the truest statement I’ve heard in some time. McGee, Whitecap, North Beach, Mustang Island State Park, Padre Island — Corpus Christi’s beache scene is iconic.
Good news: Disney just introduced another way to "skip the line." Bad news: It's going to cost you ... a lot.