Barcelona and New York-based Acai Travel, an AI-driven software platform aiming to transform travel operations, has secured $4M (approximately €3.72M) in seed funding. The round was led by Nauta, with participation from DraperB1 and existing investor One Travel Ventures.
Jordi Viñas, General Partner at Nauta, says, “Covid-19 restrictions caused a huge drop in demand for travel and subsequently led to many trained agents leaving the sector. As demand returned to pre-pandemic levels, companies have struggled with efficiency and profitability.”
“But Acai Travel’s platform, making use of LLM technologies and deep sector expertise, transforms travel operations by enabling companies to reduce handling times, hire untrained agents and build a cheaper, more flexible workforce.”
“We’ve been really impressed by the founding team’s industry experience and are really excited to see the impact they have on the travel industry over the long term.”
Bringing AI advantage to travel operations
Riccardo Vittoria and Henry Chen Weinstein co-founded Acai Travel in 2023, building on their previous success with 30SecondsToFly, a travel tech startup acquired by American Express Global Business Travel.
Vittoria, former head of AI at AMEX GBT, and Weinstein, a seasoned travel tech investor, aim to address the rising complexity in travel operations with Acai Travel.
Over half of travel management is handled by agents, yet outdated tools, increased system complexity, and an agent shortage due to pandemic-related attrition have left the industry struggling to keep up.
Acai Travel’s AI-driven platform seeks to streamline operations for airlines, travel agencies, management companies, and hotels, enhancing efficiency and adapting to evolving industry demands.
Riccardo Vittoria, co-founder and CEO of Acai Travel, says, “Acai is using AI to modernise travel operations with fast and easy-to-use tools so agents can focus on what they do best—delivering exceptional travel experiences. It’s an exciting milestone to raise a Seed round from experienced investors who understand the industry challenge and are backing us to solve it.”
What does Acai Travel offer?
Acai Travel’s platform helps travel agencies operate more efficiently despite hiring challenges and rising costs.
Their key tools include AI Helpers, which quickly provides policy details like fare rules or cancellations; GDS Overlay, which translates complex travel system language into plain English; AI Translation, enabling agents to communicate with travellers in different languages; and Intelligent Routing, which directs travellers to the right agent for their needs.
Together, these tools can cut operational costs for large agencies by up to 50 per cent without sacrificing service quality.
For instance, agencies can use Intelligent Routing and AI Translation to have agents in lower-cost regions serve clients in any language, even if the agents aren’t trained in specific travel systems.
Additionally, Acai Travel not only boosts operational efficiency but also helps travel companies gain valuable insights into traveller behaviour and preferences. By analysing customer feedback and identifying areas for improvement, Acai enables businesses to enhance their services.
This data-driven approach allows travel companies to stay ahead of trends, cut costs, and optimise their operations in ways that were difficult to achieve before AI, giving them a competitive edge.
Capital utilisation
Acai Travel will use the funds to develop its platform further, aiming to double travel agents’ efficiency, optimise call centre operations, and enhance the traveller experience.
Henry Chen Weinstein, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Acai Travel says, “In under four months, we’ve reduced average handling time by 20 per cent for one of our TMC customers on a single account.”
“As we roll out our full suite of products, including enabling non-GDS trained agents to manage complex requests, we can achieve a 70 per cent cost reduction. It’s time to bring travel operations into the 21st century—AI is the key to making that happen.”
Acai Travel has a growing customer base that serves clients across the travel industry, including Kiwi.com, lastminute.com, World Travel Inc, and Goway.
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