Locomote is putting its brief period as a global distribution system-owned company behind it with a new $3 million investment round.
The travel management company has secured the capital in a deal led by Escala Partners.
The investment values the company at around £21 million, the Australia-based, family-run business claims.
"Think of us like the Uber Of Travel," the company says in a statement, "we connect customers to suppliers, agents all over the world in a single unified travel management platform."
Locomote was created in 2012 by cousins Ross and David Fastuca, with original team members Mario Rogic, Ben Kitzelman and Arek Wrzos rejoining in recent years, as well as former head of Helloworld's business travel unit, Nick Sutherland.
Travelport originally bought a 49% stake in the business in August 2014 and turned this into majority ownership (55%) in December 2015.
A series of management reshuffles then took place, including a switch in CEO from Australian entrepreneur Philip Weinman (who took over briefly from Ross Fastuca) to Travelport veteran Sandra McLeod.
Two years after Travelport came off the public markets and went back into private equity ownership, Locomote was sold back to its founders in 2020 for an undisclosed fee, completing in July 2021.
Chief marketing officer David Fastuca says: "This is only just the beginning of our growth story. Having built this innovative technology over the past 10 years, we believe we’re in one of the best positions globally, to grow with the market as business travelers return to the sky.
"Whilst most are doing their best to survive in a tough market, we are investing and winning lots of customers. We’re primed for the inevitable return of the new business travel era."