Amsterdam and Cape Town-based Conservio, a marketplace for nature-based travel, announced on Friday, March 3, that it has raised $500K (approximately €4,68,620) in a pre-Seed round of funding.
Founded in 2021 by Justin Rijnberg and Lara Dendy Young, Conservio claims to be a go-to platform for booking nature-based excursions and offers a “unique” selection of accommodations and activities in South Africa.
Adventuresome travellers can book a range of memorable travel experiences on the Conservio marketplace, including strolling excursions, eco-cabins, tented camps, and 10-day trips through the Congo jungle.
Conservio says, “We bring together outdoor travellers and a selection of accommodations (ecolodges, cabins, and villas) and experiences in natural areas and national parks. We offer our supply side, an integrated SaaS and embedded fintech solution to enable easy and transparent bookings.”
The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, but the majority of its team is in South Africa.
Capital utilisation
Conservio says it will use the funding to accelerate its growth in South Africa, expand its team, scale marketing efforts, and further improve the booking journey of nature-based travel.
Lara Dendy Young says, “Traditionally these places are very hard to find and book online, and with our unique approach we make it easier for people to explore nature. This funding is a huge vote of confidence in our team and our mission.”
Justin Rijnberg adds, “We are thrilled to secure this funding and are excited to use it to make this type of travel more accessible. With this additional capital, we will be able to fuel our mission, to accelerate the positive impact of ecotourism.”
Investors in this round
The investment was led by Dutch-based venture capital firm Volve Capital.
Joost Bijlsma, founder of Volve, says, “We have been impressed with Conservio’s mission and the impact they have made thus far, and we believe the company is well-positioned for significant growth in South Africa and beyond.”
The round also saw participation from various angel investors from South Africa and Europe, including Ardan Bousché, David Torr (UCOOK), Galen Welsch (Jibu Africa), Elsbeth Boes, Leen de Bruyne (Living Hope Ventures), Lennert den Teuling and Pieter van Herpen (Kaas.vc).
