Steller Raises $5 Million for AI Trip Planner: Funding Roundup

13.01.2024 - 20:29 / skift.com / Justin Dawes

Four travel tech startups announced fundraises over the past two weeks totaling more than $15 million.

Steller, an AI-powered trip planner and social media app, has raised $5 million from Pioneer Venture Partners and other investors.

It is part of a series B funding round of $22 million that has been raised over the past couple of years. Washington-based Steller has raised $42 million to date, according to an email from Annette Eyraud, the startup’s chief operations officer and chief financial officer. 

The latest funding is going toward product development that includes the recent upgrades. The updated app is a trip planning tool that integrates social media videos about destinations, which is a primary way that younger generations use to plan travel. 

Steller allows users to search for travel options by destination and then explore options for activities, lodging, and more. There’s also a social media aspect, allowing users to post videos to their profiles and follow others. Users can also create guides and itineraries, such as a weekend getaway in Austin, Texas, to share with others.

“By uniting this engaging content with destination details, curated trips from experts, interactive maps, an AI-enhanced trip planner, and booking functionality, Trips offers a comprehensive and intuitive social commerce solution for the travel industry,” Steller said in a statement. 

Steller has integrations with tours and activities booking platform Viator and hotel search site Trivago, with more partnerships underway. 

Lokalee, a trip planning platform for guests of hotels and vacations rentals, has raised $5.6 million received in pre-series A funding.

It was led by Crown Private Fund, with support from three other investors. 

The Dubai-based Lokalee platform is meant to help guests to more easily browse and book amenities and local activities offered by a hotel. Client companies can integrate the tech within their own websites. 

Features include a digital concierge and chatbot, as well as customized itineraries and recommendations.

The startup plans to release an AI-powered trip planner.

The startup has 250 hotel clients in 20 countries and last year expanded into Austria, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. Clients include Movenpick, Sheraton, Rotana, Sofitel, Hilton, and Millennium.

The funding will go toward product development acceleration and further expansion into Europe. 

Spotta, a tech company that says it can detect bed bugs in hotel rooms, has raised £3 million ($3.8 million) in a growth investment round.

It was led by The Yield Lab, STIHL Ventures, and ACF Investors, with support from Martlet, Wren Capital, Remus Capital, Growthworks, Cambridge Angels, and Cambridge Capital Group.

UK-based Spotta said it