Everybody loves to travel! But not everyone enjoys devising it! To grab this opportunity, a lot of consumer-facing travel platforms are gaining a lot of traction since they aim to ease the tiresome booking process for tourists. It is clearly evident that the disruption in travel industry continues to happen at an accelerated pace.
In fact, a wave of travel startups is showing that, with enough substance, quality and innovation, there’s a more effective way to perform virtually anything. GetYourGuide has become increasingly important to those seeking travel insight. Having said that, this Berlin-based travel company is at the forefront right now covering all the essentials including travel technology and other critical aspects.
Heads up!
GetYourGuide is an online marketplace and internet booking engine for incredible travel experiences. The company is on a mission to transform ordinary trips into extraordinary experiences by turning customers’ travel dreams into reality. It is founded in 2009 by Jochen Mattes, Johannes Reck, Martin Sieber, Pascal Mathis, Tao Tao, and Tobias Rein.
According to German publication Deutsche Startups, the company has secured a huge €500 million funding from SoftBank bringing its overall valuation to a €1.6 billion.
However, in a interview with TechCrunch, the company dismissed the claim and refused to comment on it as well. Moreover, Softbank hasn’t publicly commented on it either. This information regarding the funding comes less than a week after SoftBank invested €900 million in another German company, Wirecard.
Reportedly, the German travel firm was in talks already with SoftBank and other investors including Temasek Holdings was first reported back in March.
What makes GetYourGuide worthy?
GetYourGuide is one of the few successful firms that focus on evolving continuously by assessing methods that are effective for the target environment. The company achieves this by taking input from myriads of contribution factors, breaking down into a manageable solution and implementing it.
That being said, GetYourGuide is not the only travel company headed towards disrupting the industry. Here’re some other innovative tech startups, who are scoring in the segment to compete with the experience offerings of tech majors including Booking.com and Airbnb.
Secret Escapes (London)
Founders: Alex Saint, Andrew Bredon, Tom Valentine, Troy Collins
Funding: €198M
Every business has its own USP, so does Secret Escapes! Founded in 2010, this London-based platform offers its members a luxury hand-picked hotels and holidays in the UK and abroad with a discount of up to 60%.
“We’ll give you access to rates for hotels and holidays you’ll struggle to find anywhere else, and if you do we’ll match their price – that’s a guarantee.”
Moreover, they only feature hotels and holidays that are a cut above the rest and good enough to recommend. All the hotels, holidays and spas are hand-picked and offer curated by the travel experts.
Tiqets (Amsterdam)
Founders: Christiaan Solcer, Luuc Elzinga, Maarten Raaijmakers, Marijn Speelman, Robert Westers
Funding: €41.3M
Long gone are the days when you had to stand in a queue to book tickets for your favourite for museums, shows, and attractions. Say hi to Tiqets, an innovative ticketing platform that’s revolutionising the way visitors find, buy, and use tickets.
With this platform, reserve your tickets in seconds and display it on your smartphone. No hassle, no stress! The company makes it easy for travellers by directly collaborating with venues, adapting to their specific needs.
BlaBlaCar (Paris)
Founders: Francis Nappez, Frédéric Mazzella, Nicolas Brusson
Funding: €405M
Looking out for an ideal platform to socialise while you are on the move? BlaBlaCar is a trusted community marketplace that connects drivers with vacant seats with co-travellers looking for a ride. It makes travel social, money-saving and more efficient for millions of members and the environment as well.
Omio (Berlin)
Founders: Naren Shaam
Funding: €269M
GoEuro is now Omio! Is trip planning your least favourite part of travel? Well, leave it out to the best in business and chill. Omio (Oh-ME-oh), simplify the travel planning process so that you can save time and money.
The company have already worked out all the complicated bits so you don’t have to! Furthermore, Omio’s technology swift’s through all the data to find you the best options.
With more than 800 trusted transport partners, including industry heavyweights Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, Trenitalia, Renfe, Alsa, Eurolines and EasyJet, Omio’s search engine can get you where you need to go.
Musement (Milan)
Founders: Alessandro Petazzi, Claudio Bellinzona, Fabio Zecchini, Paolo Giulini
Funding: €14.9M
You have to visit the right place at the right time, otherwise, you can’t make the most out of it. If you are stuck in a place with no idea, remember ‘Musement‘ app. Musement helps you get the best from destinations by providing a great choice of local tours and attractions.
This platform helps travelers enjoy in-destination experiences to the fullest, sourcing local knowledge and recommendations to make the best use of time. It’s a right tool delivering useful information in the simplest way. It is available as an app on both Android and iOS.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more updates in the tech startup world.