Travello, a mobile application that aims to help travellers hook up prior to a trip, has raised almost $1 million in funding.
The Australia-based startup, which launched last year as Outbound, says the investment comes from Australian and angel investors.
Travello describes itself as a service to help travellers connect with and meet 'fellow explorers' before setting off on a trip by enabling them to put their trip details into the app which then tells them who is travelling to the same place at the same time.
The startup says the app is being used in more than 180 countries.
Chief executive and co-founder Ryan Hanly says:
"We are helping people connect before they travel and while they are traveling. We are taking organic interactions and bringing them onto a digital platform. We feel that helping people connect is infinitely more useful than just telling them what they can do when they arrive at a destination, which is what the vast majority of travel apps focus on."
Travello says solo travel is gaining in popularity pointing to a study from Visa which reveals a 15% increase in solo travel between 2013 and 2015.