10 travel tech startups announced over $78 million in funding over the past two weeks.
25.08.2023 - 14:15 / skift.com / Justin Dawes
Five travel tech startups announced $47.5 million in funding this week.
>>HotelRunner has raised $6.5 million in a Series A round of funding from a group of new and existing firms including 212, Wix Capital, Founders Factory, Ascension Ventures, and DHM, as well as a group of angel investors.
London-based HotelRunner offers a suite of low-cost software products that can help hospitality clients streamline sales, operations, distribution management, and more. It also offers a platform where travel companies can connect and do business with one another, processing more than 35 million transactions daily between properties, travel agencies, travelers, and payment platforms.
Last June, Wix relaunched its software service for hotels with technology powered by HotelRunner’s products.
The company said it has thousands of clients in 193 countries.
The funding will go toward growing the business and the team, as well as investing in the technology. The company plans to open offices in the Americas in the coming months and grow its client base in the U.S. and Latin America. The company currently has more than 100 employees in three countries.
HotelRunner has made two acquisitions previously and plans to further consolidate the fragmented travel technology through additional acquisitions.
>>Akia, a customer service messaging platform primarily focused on the hospitality industry, has raised $6 million in Series A funding. It was led by Altos Ventures with participation from GSR Ventures, which led the previous seed round.
San Francisco-based Akia said it has consistently grown three times each year since it was founded in 2019. The startup said market conditions and an ongoing labor shortage have fueled demand for its product.
Akia said its focus is on providing simple tech that does not require downloads, logins, or tech background knowledge. Through the platform, clients can send text messages to customers that contain links for identity verification, security deposit collection, and contactless hotel check-in.
“Consumers are tired of poorly made chatbots, waiting on hold for call centers, or downloading apps for single use,” said Evan Chen, CEO of Akia, in a statement. “We are committed to developing innovative products and services that help businesses respond more effectively and quickly to the changing needs of their customers.”
>>Cruisebound, an online travel agency for the cruise industry, raised $10 million Series A funding. It was led by former Booking Holdings chairman and CEO Jeffery Boyd and Par Capital Ventures. Boyd has joined the startup’s board. (See Skift’s Story.)
The founding team built Rocket Travel, which was acquired by Booking Holdings in 2015. New York-based Cruisebound was
10 travel tech startups announced over $78 million in funding over the past two weeks.
Five travel tech startups announced $62.1 million in funding this week.
>>Ukio, a Barcelona-based short-term rental platform focused on remote workers, has raised $28 million (€27 million) in a Series A round of funding.
Three startups working in travel tech announced nearly $17 million in funding this week.
Three travel tech startups raised nearly $202 million this week.
Four travel tech startups raised $158.5 million over the last week and a half.
Three travel tech startups raised $87.2 million this week.
Tech startups involved in the travel industry raised nearly $118 million this week.
Five tech startups in the travel industry have raised $258.6 in venture capital this week.
The hotel tech startup Mews has raised $185 million, a number high above typical venture capital fundraises in that industry.
Four travel tech startups raised $65.7 million this week.
Two tech startups involved in the travel industry raised $15.3 million this week.