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Travelers want to consume content on the same devices that they use for every other aspect of their lives and that includes virtual reality videos. InstaVR's focus on apps helps travel brands reach their audiences that may not own virtual reality headsets yet and enjoy watching videos on their phones.
Each week we create a roundup of travel startups that have received or announced funding that week. The total amount raised this week among companies we tracked was $51.4 million.
Here are four companies that announced they raised funding this week. You can see previous roundups here.
>>Rover raised a $40 million Series E round from existing investors Foundry Group, Menlo Ventures and Madrona Venture Group which brings the Seattle, Washington-based company’s total funding to $106.9 million.
Rover is a platform letting dog owners find homes for their pets to stay in while they’re on vacation. Rover’s dog sitters either host a dog in their own home or will come to the dog’s home and sitters undergo several layers of background checks and certifications. Rover is available in most major U.S. cities and the company estimates most Americans live less than 50 miles from the nearest certified Rover sitter.
>>Vacatia raised a $2.1 million Series A round from several new and existing investors including Javelin Venture Partners, Barry Sternlicht, Grey Wolf and Structure Capital. This is the San Francisco-based startup’s third funding round that follows its April 2015 Series A raise of $8.8 million and its total funding to date is $15.92 million.
Vacatia is a resort marketplace for timeshares and fractional-ownership properties and was founded in 2013. The company has more than 500 resorts in 25 destinations and said a “large proportion” of its resort residences are wholly-owned.
>>Splacer raised a $7.3 million venture round from new investor NFX Guild. This brings the Tel Aviv, Israel-based startup’s total funding to $8.7 million. It raised a $1.4 million seed round in July 2015.
Splacer helps travelers list, discover and book short-term spaces to create unique event experiences during a business or leisure trip. Splacer charges space providers a 15 percent commission on each booking and charges a 10 percent commission on referrals for verified event service providers. Bookable spaces include lofts, art galleries and beach villas in New York City and San Francisco.
>>InstaVR raised a $2 million Series A round from new investor The Venture Reality Fund and this is the San Francisco-based startup’s first funding round. The company, founded in December 2015, is a software-as-a-service marketing platform that helps brands produce interactive virtual reality apps for all mobile and desktop platforms.
The Daily Newsletter
Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.
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Photo credit: InstaVR is a software-as-a-service marketing platform that helps brands produce virtual reality content. InstaVR