Tourlane raises $24M for agent-led trip tool, plans to nearly double staff

Berlin-based Tourlane, which offers online booking of custom itineraries planned by travel specialists, has raised $24 million in Series B funding.

The round was led by Sequoia Capital with participation from existing investors Spark Capital, Holtzbrinck Ventures and DN Capital.

The company says the funding will be used to expand internationally, develop its platform and add 100 new employees to its current staff of 120.

This latest round brings Tourlane’s total capital raised to $34 million, which includes $8.5 million in Series A financing announced in March.

Founded in 2016, Tourlane connects users with travel specialists who help them research and book packages combining flights, accommodations, transfers and activities. It is primarily intended for planning complex itineraries.

“On the one hand, travelers don’t want to offer up their individual experiences on the altar of mass tourism. But on the other hand, they are also overwhelmed by the myriad of offers available online,” says Julian Stiefel, co-founder of Tourlane.

“This can, unfortunately, turn the excitement and anticipation of a relaxing holiday into a stressful and anxiety-inducing affair.”

Over the past year, Tourlane says its revenue has increased 800%.

“Specialty travel is one of the few segments in travel that remains primarily booked offline, and as a result, trips tend to be overly rigid. Tourlane's product simplifies the booking process, cuts out fees and delivers unique and delightful trips for consumers,” says Andrew Reed, partner at Sequoia.

Tourlane’s investors include Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, GetYourGuide founder Johannes Reck, the founders of HomeToGo and Qunar founder Fritz Demopoulos, as well as Trivago founders Malte Siewert and Rolf Schrömgens.