Sean O'Neill, Skift
To understand the startup Beekeeper, think of workplace communications tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams. The service helps hourly workers without desktop computers, such as housekeepers, stay up-to-date. The fresh funding underscores a recent boom in hotel tech investment.
50 mins ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
This week, travel startups Volocopter, Atlas Obscura, KKDay, AmazingCo, Living Map, Sojourn, and Davinci Travel Systems announced more than $93 million in funding. The venture capital sector clearly isn't spooked by talk of recession in some markets.
3 days ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
The funding of business travel management startup Hotel Engine underscores how there's a lot of money and energy pouring into the sector.
1 week ago
Travelstop + Skift
As business travel surges in APAC, the tech tools needed to manage that travel have fallen behind. But new innovations — like those from Travelstop — are beginning to meet the ever-changing needs of this soon-to-be $900 billion market.
3 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
This week travel startups announced more than $46 million in funding. Of note, two of the companies, Smartair and Tastemakers, are making bets on Africa's online travel growth. Meanwhile, online travel company Hostelworld has invested in Tipi, a software provider for hostel managers.
2 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Game on, Oracle. But like everything in the hotel sector, the battle between next-generation hotel tech players and established titans will take years to play out.
3 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Zhiketong stands out for receiving investment from top-tier investors and travel companies. The company helps hotels and other firms market their services to travelers via WeChat, a messaging service and payment platform. Hotels like WeChat because it charges lower commissions than online travel agencies like Ctrip.
3 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Investors have bet on some innovative business models. AirPortr has hand-delivered about 100,000 bags from homes to airports, lifting a worry off the hands of Londoners as they pass through airport security. PaulCamper is an Airbnb for RVs. Meanwhile, SpaceBox converts spare hotel rooms into video game halls and other social zones for college students.
1 month ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
This week travel startups announced more than $40 million in funding. Notably two of the companies, travel medical insurance seller SafetyWing and upselling tech firm HotelFlex, are graduates of the famed Y Combinator startup accelerator.
1 month ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Some religions take it on faith that their messiah will come, but they stoically accept that the arrival has been delayed indefinitely. Similarly, Despegar believes that the online travel revolution will sweep Latin America, but it accepts that the glorious moment has been delayed indefinitely. Consumer financing is its secret sauce to sustain itself while it waits.
1 month ago
Claire Ballentine, Bloomberg
Ever find yourself desperate to find a private black-sand beach but don't have time to aimlessly search in a rental car? Consider Sand.ee, a new website and soon-to-be app, the latest brand that wants to give consumers more control over their experiences. It's a good example that creation is the new consumption, as forecasted by our Skift 2019 Megatrend.
1 month ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Since 2016, Shiji has spent $141 million on acquisitions and investments across 10 tech companies outside of China, according to our review of its financial filings. Yet we still don't grasp the overseas strategy of the hospitality tech group.
1 month ago
