Startups, Launches, Venture Capital Fundings in Travel Sector by Skift

Vacation Rental Network RedAwning Attracts $40 Million Round: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Among the latest travel companies to receive funding, RedAwning and WanderJaunt are applying aspects of hotel franchising to home renting. Other companies will likely pile onto these experiments.

7 days ago

FabHotels Secures $25 Million in a Goldman Sachs-Led Round: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

FabHotel's franchise model joins peers OYO and Treebo in a promising effort to tame the famously fractured budget segment in India by applying consistent standards of service and marketing.

3 weeks ago

The IRS May Crack Down on Airbnb and Uber Income and Unpaid Taxes

Ben Brody, Bloomberg

Hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable income go unreported every year by Airbnb hosts, Uber drivers, and similar sharing-economy workers. As the federal budget gets pressured, expect tax authorities to come calling.

4 weeks ago

Cash-Back Biz Travel App Raises $7 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Dosh says it has 55 people working on letting travelers earn cash back on the money they spend on business trips, while Hoperator has debuted to bring AI tools to hotel chat. Each has promise.

4 weeks ago

The New Machine-Learning Booking Tool for Road Warriors: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

New tech is going to vastly improve the efficiency of booking business trips, selling tours, and running short-term rentals. But it's too soon to know if these three freshly funded companies, in particular, will pull off the trick.

1 month ago

Trump Administration Blocks Startup Visa Program Tech Companies Supported

Justin Sink, Bloomberg

Instead of a brain drain, let's just call this a brain dam. The Trump administration claims it wants to generate U.S. jobs yet it is taking steps to stymie the entry of entrepreneurs by blocking the implementation of a new startup visa program.

1 month ago

Spanish Entrepreneur Offers Venue for Power Naps to Update Siesta Tradition

Maria Tadeo, Bloomberg

Spain's national brand is about striking a balance between work and leisure, as epitomized by the siesta, or afternoon break. Ironically, statistics reveal a grumpier reality. But new trends offer hope.

2 months ago

Keypr Unlocks $19 Million for Hotel Keyless Entry: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Investors used to be skittish about hospitality-tech startups. But this week's multi-million dollar investment rounds in Keypr, Pillow, and Cloudbeds suggest that the lodging software sector is maturing and isn't just about hotels anymore.

2 months ago

TrustYou Acquired as User-Generated Reviews Sector Heats Up

Andrew Sheivachman, Skift

TrustYou's hotel clients have remained relatively modest in scale as the company has grown. Perhaps it will be able to attract bigger brands, and more companies based in Asia, with a more robust global presence.

2 months ago

Indian Agency Goomo Raises More Than $25 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Private equity aims to scale up an Indian agency with a core business traveler clientele, while two rival subscription airlines combine, and a clone of Airbnb for gay travelers receives funding. Clearly, some investors favor companies that focus on niches.

2 months ago

Luggage Startup Away Raises $20 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

The co-founders of luggage maker Away are seeing surprisingly good early results by applying the direct-to-consumer model that Warby Parker championed in eyewear. Also this week: Short-term rental platform Favstay attracted more than $2 million in funding.

3 months ago

China Is Likely to Become a Test Bed for Sharing Economy Innovation

Adam Minter, Bloomberg

Don't let Airbnb's struggle in China throw you. The country shows all the signs of being an innovative laboratory for sharing businesses, says Adam Minter, a journalist covering the country.

3 months ago