Startups

Two success stories this week: Last year Klook helped travelers book more than five million attractions and activities, making it Asia's booking leader. Meanwhile, major airlines have been adding LocusLabs' maps to their apps at a torrid pace.

Travefy solidifies its business with travel management companies, TravelCar brings its car rental solution to U.S. airports, NIDA Rooms expands its branded budget hotel room model in Southeast Asia, and more news in our weekly roundup.

It was only last May that Stayzilla received $13 million in a Series C round. An impressive-seeming execution must have blinded investors to spreadsheet data showing the company was not generating enough revenue to cover its costs.

Tink Labs is a standout Hong Kong company in the hotel ecosystem. It attracted $170 million in funding to make its Handy loaner smartphones a free amenity in hotels worldwide. But we found some other companies that are also offering promising tools for hoteliers.

... And here comes Airbnb Lux.

The bar for success is higher than usual for these companies because of their unlikeliness: an online seller of cruise trips, a traditional "high street" travel agency, a network of freelance photographers, and a maker of eyewear that records 360-degree-video.

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.

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.

Hotelbeds has an outstanding market position on the strength of its booking technology. The plan to acquire Tourico shows that its financial backers, particularly buyout firm Cinven, see a path to growth. Expect further acquisitions that add new supplier relationships in new market segments.

India's public company stars MakeMyTrip and Yatra get all the attention in travel. But several startups have the execution chops and the support of experts like Sequoia Capital and Amadeus to thrive in providing services to the country's online population, now numbering more than 400 million.