Articles tagged “vcroundup”

Travel startups raised more than $128 million this week. Tel Aviv-based Guesty, which is like a Salesforce for vacation rental property managers, was one of the fortunate companies.

TravelPerk's and TravelTriangle's fundings are yet a further sign that Skift called it right in our 2018 megatrend predictions. We said companies are investing heavily in treating business travelers as respectable consumers rather than as animals that need prodding like goats.

MasterCard, Hyatt, and others must have done their homework before they invested in IfOnly. Still, the startup certainly expects outsiders to take too much on faith about its progress.

As winter gives way to spring, at least in the northern hemisphere, startups raised more than $24 million to expand online travel booking and planning in the Middle East and Europe. Just in time for consumers planning summer trips.

We were skeptical of claims from Skyroam that travelers would pay a premium for seamless mobile Wi-Fi. After all, the internet has become cheap and easy to access in many destinations. But the startup has attracted millions of paying users. The lesson: There's always a premium version of an existing service waiting to be invented.

The concept of a budget brand hotel network that promises consistent amenities has been popularized by India's OYO Rooms. RedDoorz has traction with a similar model in Indonesia, which suggests the model may have legs worldwide.

Some investors think that patience is not only a virtue, but can also be worth a windfall. But waiting for big returns from tours and activities sector companies KKDay, Bookingkit, and TickX — which have received fresh investment rounds — may test their virtue.

Road trips remain incredibly popular in many parts of the world and are a great way to get off the beaten path. RVShare's new CEO, an ex-HomeAway executive, is likely looking to capture more than the sliver of the market it currently has.

WeTravel finds itself in a competitive payments market. The company had a good first year, and expanding to larger travel companies is likely on its to-do list.

Investors are finally backing companies that are tackling relatively remote corners of the travel market, such as Joymode's rentals of gear for camping, beach holidays, and road trips, and Busbud's sales of intercity bus tickets.