ZuBlu, a scuba diving travel booking platform, has raised $1 million in seed funding.
The round was led by Wavemaker Partners, with Mana Impact, She1k and angel investors also participating.
The company, which was founded in 2017, has previously been backed by Betatron, a Hong Kong-based accelerator since 2019.
Zublu, which has a focus on destinations within Asia, says it has grown its resort partner network and its member community in 2020 by 46% and 425% respectively, despite the COVID-19 crisis.
Adam Broadbent, co-founder of ZuBlu, says: “Scuba diving and underwater adventure travel - in particular, to remote destinations home to incredible experiences - are uniquely positioned to flourish in a post-coronavirus market. More than ever, we expect people to seek out memorable encounters, to want to escape the crowds, experience new cultures and support sustainable business practices - all of which are central to ZuBlu’s ethos.”
According to a company, the scuba diving travel sector in Asia alone is worth $4.5 billion and is expected to grow significantly.
The platform helps users search, compare and book diving trips easily. It adds that responsible travel is part of its offering with operators on the platform vetted for their commitment to sustainable practices.
Paul Santos, managing partner, Wavemaker Partners, says: “Scuba divers are typically very passionate, high-value travellers. We were surprised to learn how inconvenient it is for them to find good information to plan and book their trips.
"Through this pandemic, ZuBlu has experienced strong traction from divers already planning their trips despite the current global slowdown in travel. This combined with the company’s high capital efficiency means they can spend time building and refining their platform and onboarding more high-quality travel partners."