Startups

New startup Cabana is betting that the outdoor adventure sector can at least double in size with better product and service. It's interesting that Jason Calacanis and Paul English are backers because they've used this playbook before as entrepreneurs and investors in other sectors.

Private equity firm HIG Capital has taken a majority stake in Enseo, a provider of digital in-room entertainment tech for hotels. Enseo plans to grow through acquisition. The deal is a validation of founder and CEO Vanessa Ogle's bold pivot of the tech vendor.

The American Airlines investment in Vertical Aerospace marks the aviation industry's broad support of more than a dozen startups building air taxis. But be skeptical of the hype that small, electric-powered aircraft will be in the skies anytime soon.

Sabre wins from the sale of tech vendor Airpas because it represents more progress in a multi-year streamlining of its portfolio. The airline industry might also win if Airpas's new merger with another tech company represents a wave of better cost management tools.

If you're a young travel company that wants to grow, riding the demographic rise of millennials can be the smartest path — with a fresh approach.

Travel startups recently raised more than $184 million in funding. Concepts included intercity bus service, prediction software, corporate travel planning, software for direct hotel bookings, and sites for booking via social media.

The tech company Clear is hoping an IPO will help it fast-track a path to profitability. But for 11 years, it has been faster at speeding up security lanes than in getting to breakeven.

The call of the outdoors was loud last summer. Travel startups Outdoorsy and Collective Retreats are hoping that millennials keep answering the call post-pandemic.

VTrips all but outright says that it's more profitable than its larger rival Vacasa. But we'll only know for sure if they both file to go public.

There are more signs of confidence that travel’s making a comeback, with outsider Nium now wanting a slice of the payments action by buying Ixaris.