Dharma, a startup that plans and sells trips hosted by well known
people and brands, has raised $4.7 million in pre-Series A funding.
The round is led by Convivialité Ventures, the venture capital arm
of Pernod Ricard, with participation from FJ Labs, investor
Stephen Ross and others. This brings Dharma’s total funding to date to $10
million in equity.
“Our
core conviction is that the future of travel is passion-based. If for the past
50 years, people have traveled for the where, the next 50 years people will
travel for the why. That’s the future Dharma is enabling,” said Charaf El
Mansouri, co-founder and CEO Dharma.
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“We’re
proud of being based in the UAE, one of the most future-forward travel markets
in the world, but equally proud that what we do has resonated with investors
globally. The idea that you could seamlessly book your next trip hosted by your
favorite chef, surfer or fitness instructor is both universal and extremely
personal.”
Dharma’s most recent partnership is with Paramount Global to offer
travel experiences linked to the company’s hit Netflix show, “Emily in Paris.”
The company said this latest funding will help it expand its offerings of multi-day
experiences by working with new partners in verticals such as culinary, sports,
fashion and lifestyle tourism.
“The team at Convivialite
Venture is thrilled to support Dharma's next phase of growth as they look to
become the key player in the passion travel space,” said Wendy Wattebled, partner at Convivialité Ventures.
“We believe in their
vision of connecting the world through the power of shared experience.”