Hot 25 Startups 2023

Fora lands $60M to scale AI assistant for travel advisors
News / Startups
Fora lands $60M to scale AI assistant for travel advisors
By Linda Fox | July 16, 2026
Fora is looking to scale is AI assistant, Via, which is currently in beta with a number of its top advisors. Read More
AI is pushing travel advisors toward their next evolution
News / Technology
AI is pushing travel advisors toward their next evolution
By Cathy Walsh | July 14, 2026
AI is automating administrative work and accelerating research, but its biggest impact may be giving travel advisors more time to deliver the expertise, relationships and personalized service travelers... Read More
Holibob launches conversational booking platform for travel experiences
News / Technology
Holibob launches conversational booking platform for travel experiences
By Cathy Walsh | June 30, 2026
The launch brings Holibob's natural language booking technology directly to travelers and includes an integration with Google's Things to Do. Read More
Gharage Ventures launches €40M Fund I to back travel retail startups
News / Online
Gharage Ventures launches €40M Fund I to back travel retail startups
By Abby Crotty | March 6, 2026
The VC fund plans to invest in roughly 30 startups with the Fund I, building its existing portfolio of tech companies. Read More
Mount, Popfly merge to support travel brands, creators
News / Online
Mount, Popfly merge to support travel brands, creators
By Morgan Hines | February 6, 2026
Adventure content company Popfly will integrate Mount’s network into its own. Read More
A new age of travel selling: AI, personalization and human touch
News / Distribution
A new age of travel selling: AI, personalization and human touch
By Abby Crotty | January 26, 2026
Fora's Jake Peters and Unravel's Maarten van Pijpen discuss travel selling strategies and how both tech and humans fit in. Read More
The top 10 news stories on PhocusWire in 2025
News / Online
The top 10 news stories on PhocusWire in 2025
By PhocusWire | December 23, 2025
Revisit the 10 most-read news stories on PhocusWire this year, covering loyalty, AI and more. Read More
Where are they now? Catching up with the Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2023
News / Startups
Where are they now? Catching up with the Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2023
By Mileva Sapic | October 20, 2025
Many of our Hot 25 Startups for 2023 have undergone major transformations, including significant funding rounds and strategic acquisitions. Read More
Fetcherr lands $42M to expand AI pricing tech internationally
News / Technology
Fetcherr lands $42M to expand AI pricing tech internationally
By Linda Fox | September 25, 2025
Using its own large market model, Fetcherr digests market dynamics to help airlines forecast demand and generate real-time decisions. Read More
Fora acquires AI startup Legends
News / Startups
Fora acquires AI startup Legends
By Abby Crotty | August 7, 2025
Legends and Fora, both PhocusWire Hot 25 Startups, said the deal will help bring Legends' tools to a wider community of advisors and travelers. Read More
Travel startup funding and M&A trends in Q2 2025
News / Startups
Travel startup funding and M&A trends in Q2 2025
By Linda Fox | July 29, 2025
Headlines surrounding tariffs, political uncertainty and global conflict may have tempered travel startup funding in the second quarter of 2025. Read More
PhocusWire's weekly travel tech news briefs: Fora, Amex GBT, Expedia Group and more...
News
PhocusWire's weekly travel tech news briefs: Fora, Amex GBT, Expedia Group and more...
By PhocusWire | July 18, 2025
Keep up with all the latest people, partner and product news from around the global travel industry. Read More
Delta encouraged by early results of AI pricing with Fetcherr
News / Technology
Delta encouraged by early results of AI pricing with Fetcherr
By Linda Fox | July 14, 2025
Delta said during an investor day back in November that it had deployed the Fetcherr technology across 1% of its domestic network. Read More
Modern travel agency Fora Travel raises $60M
News / Startups
Modern travel agency Fora Travel raises $60M
By Morgan Hines | April 24, 2025
Fora CEO Evan Frank said the latest round of funding will be used "to modernize the travel industry for good." Read More
Why attribute-based selling is gaining momentum
News / Distribution
Why attribute-based selling is gaining momentum
By Matthew Parsons | April 14, 2025
Hotels are using attribute-based selling more often, allowing guests to pick and choose specific characteristics based on their own preferences. Read More
The Phocuswright Conference 2026