Startups

The acquisition of once-high-flying Tripping.com as a distressed asset was a losing deal for investors. It's not clear what the payoff will be for HomeToGo acquiring a Silicon Valley rival at vacation rental price-comparison. HomeToGo faces daunting expectations now, having raised $150 million.

Bidroom, one of Skift's Top Startups to Watch in 2018, aims to challenge traditional online travel agencies with an Amazon Prime-like subscription model. Plus, fundings galore for Festicket, GlobalTix, Zizoo, Hotel Effectiveness, Loisirs Enchères, Bookaway, LokaLocal, and Vacation With an Artist.

A $150 million investment in Plusgrade may seem like a lot, given the scope of the market for the company's services. But we're not surprised that a business that specializes in drawing out the highest price from bidders in consumer markets would attract this level of funding.

Can you really grow a unicorn in a lab? In other words, can companies like Air France-KLM read all of the innovation advice books in airport bookshops and methodically create the next Airbnb? We're skeptical. But the travel industry could use much more innovation.

Tiqets tackled the hard problem of helping many museums that lacked tech savvy to adopt modern sales techniques. Now it's seeing a payoff. In other news, events tech company Headbox and online travel agency Sastaticket raised money.

Lufthansa Group has responded to digital disruption by creating a company within a company, Yilu. The group's low-cost carrier Eurowings has already begun using the subsidiary's tools for cross-selling taxi rides.

Travel startups are receiving remarkable investor interest this year, suggesting a bit of irrational exuberance. But in Sojern's case, fundraising can be seen as recognition of a company that's taken years to build consistent, profitable growth. Its tools could be scaled up to address a multi-billion-dollar market.

PredictHQ, which helps travel companies like Booking.com and Qantas anticipate surges in demand, was joined by other startups in announcing investments this week, including Hotelmize, Journy, KKday, and Smartvel.

Renowned venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has famously pushed the notion that "software is eating the world." It seems likely the firm believes software is now going to upend how companies book travel, in particular, and that companies like TripActions will profit from the shift.

AppZen wants to remove the stress from filing monthly expense reports at companies worldwide, and it applies artificial intelligence to address the problem in a way that sounds compelling.