Latest News on Venture Capital Fundings in the Travel Sector by Skift

The Luggage Industry Keeps Adding Tech Gimmicks to Boost Sales

Sean O'Neill, Skift

At this year's annual travel goods industry conference, it's obvious that the hot trend among manufacturers is to add USB ports, battery packs, and location-aware beacons to their luggage.

3 months ago

A Data Dive Into European Venture Capital: Top Companies by Funding

Dave Montali, Skift

Diving into the data of European VC reveals that while new tech-hubs are emerging, the landscape is still vastly dominated by the traditional trio of well-established tech-hubs. Namely London, Paris, and Berlin.

3 months ago

Europe Is an Excellent Testbed for the Future of Travel, Say Investors and Entrepreneurs

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Defying conventional wisdom in the U.S., leading venture capitalist and the founders of two venture-backed companies -- Trainline and GetYourGuide -- believe that Europe is an excellent testbed for creating travel companies that can scale globally. They make their case well.

3 months ago

The Venture Capital Funding Gap in European Travel

Dave Montali, Skift

Venture capital's returns are usually achieved in the long-term, a great match for pension funds. However, European pension funds are still reluctant to allocate money to VC, considering it a risky venture.

3 months ago

New Research Report: European Venture Investment Trends in the Travel Industry 2017

Luke Bujarski, Skift

Europe is finally warming up to the American-style, risk big and risk early venture investment culture that has given birth to so many tech megabrands out of Silicon Valley.

3 months ago

OAG Gets Sold Again as it Pushes its Flight Schedule and Forecasting Service

Sean O'Neill, Skift

OAG was taken over by private equity in 2013, which retrofitted it with a focus on airline data services. But this once legendary brand will face tough competition from FlightGlobal and other players.

4 months ago

5 Travel Startups Rethinking Car Rentals Beyond Sharing

Sean O'Neill, Skift

A cluster of comparatively under-the-radar startups have caught our notice: Two let travelers book specific cars on lots rather than broad vehicle categories (like "compact"), two are bringing metasearch to car rentals, and one is a hidden jewel of Hawaii's tech scene.

4 months ago

TravelTriangle and Lola Each Raise $10 Million More: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

This week, TravelTriangle, an India-based online marketplace for travelers and agents, receives a fresh round of funding that brings its total raised to $19.9 million, while Lola, Paul English's startup for giving travel agents technological superpowers, has added $10 million to its Series B.

4 months ago

Oasis Receives $2.5 Million for Its Hotel-Style Home Rentals: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Last year, AccorHotels took a 30 percent equity share in Oasis, a curated marketplace for luxury rental properties, while also investing in similar concepts like OneFineStay and Squarebreak. This week Oasis received $2.5 million from an "undisclosed investor." We wonder who might that be.

5 months ago

iCars Buys Limos.com in Crowded Corporate Travel Ground Transport Market

Sean O'Neill, Skift

The iCars merger with Limos.com makes the combined company a viable competitor against Blacklane and GroundLink, leaders in private car aggregation for corporate travelers. But all the companies need to step up their games. They need to deliver consistently quick responses to real-time bookings at multiple destinations via consumer-grade mobile apps.

5 months ago

5 New Travel Startups From China That Challenge the Status Quo

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Chinese travel startups are innovating, not cloning, these days. For instance, Zanadu is using virtual reality to sell luxury travel in real world shops, Baoku is bringing integrated workflows to corporate travel planners, and Aipinji is applying an Uber-like user interface to an old-school wholesaler model.

5 months ago

TripActions Raises $14 Million to Trim Rogue Bookings: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

TripActions' funding adds buzz to a category of startups aiming to incentivize travelers to book travel more cheaply, while Bluesmart's fresh funding validates the electronic luggage category.

5 months ago