Travel startup SkySquad has raised $1 million in seed funding for its airport-assistance platform.
Elevate Capital led the round, with participation from TEDCO, Citrine Angels, 1219 Capital and other angel investors.
Headquartered in Virginia, SkySquad assists families, seniors, non-English speakers or anyone looking for help in navigating the airport.
With the service, travelers can book an assistant to carry luggage and guide them through the airport all the way from exiting a car door to entering a plane door, or the other way around. All SkySquad assistants have been background checked by the TSA and can accompany travelers through security.
The company, founded in 2019, grew out of an idea founder and CEO Julie Melnick had in 2012 called Nanny in the Clouds after struggling to travel cross-country with her children.
"There is a huge need for our SkySquad travel assistants in the travel industry and strong customer demand,” Melnick says.
“We've provided travel assistance to more than 16,000 customers since December 2019. And, just during the past 12 months, we've experienced extremely rapid growth of 70X.”
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With the funds, the startup plans to scale its marketing and operations efforts and expand from seven airports to a total of 10 across the United States by 2023.
SkySquad is currently available at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.