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.”
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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.
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