Startups

Uber is undoubtedly growing quickly and won a small victory with approval to operate in NYC, which appears to be enough work without raising a new round of funding, for now.

Hailo can block passengers and drivers for bad behavior, but the question now looms whether the TLC will block Hailo for jumping the gun.

The Mayor's Office, Airbnb, and SFO all talk about an ongoing "dialogue" and "conversation," but any timelines are vague and the city’s own neighborhood associations, let alone its residents, aren't yet part of the discussion. The sharing economy will one day be regulated in San Francisco, but there's still much work to be done.

Frequent travelers have plenty of incentive to earn miles through Rocketmiles, but the startup will have to expand its hotel options and offer a cleaner experience than its competitor for sustainable growth.

Adding rentals and expanding its customer base is a natural path for the home exchange company to take given its large portfolio of global homes.

The absurdity of CorruptTour is precisely the genius of this, and says a lot more about our society than the business itself.

Ask anyone who the most successful investor in travel is, and they'll talk about Joel Cutler of General Catalyst Partners. But, when it comes to individual investors, this gang of five has a lot of experience and is pretty good. None are infallible, of course, but this is where a lot of the smart money is.

Online travel "supermarkets" Travelocity and Expedia years ago looked like winners, but hotel "specialist" Booking.com prevailed, Room 77 argues. And, it's betting that a singular focus on hotels will one day enable Room 77 to out-Kayak Kayak. It's a huge hill to climb.